Issues faced by Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries will be taken up: Minister

Bengaluru: Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar has said that steps are being taken to resolve issues faced by beneficiaries of the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, under which nearly 52,000 women are currently not receiving financial assistance due to discrepancies related to GST and Income Tax records.

Replying to a question raised by Legislative Council member P.H. Pujar during the special session of the Legislative Council, the Minister explained that as per records of the GST and Income Tax Departments, these beneficiaries are shown as taxpayers, which has resulted in the withholding of scheme benefits. She stated that out of the 52,000 affected beneficiaries, issues faced by around 20,000 women have already been resolved, and efforts are ongoing to address the remaining cases.

Lakshmi Hebbalkar clarified that there is no fault on the part of the State Government or the Women and Child Development Department. She noted that the same details are reflected in the databases of the GST and Income Tax departments, making it a complex issue to rectify immediately.

The Minister further informed that the state has approximately 1.26 crore beneficiaries under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.