No ration card: Transgender person deprived of Sidhu’s guarantee
Bengaluru: Ganga, a 42-year-old transgender from Ballari, was mesmerized when the Griha Lakshmi scheme was launched in the state in August. “With Rs 2,000 per month from Griha Lakshmi and Rs 800 from Matres (pension scheme for transgender persons), I thought I could pay the rent for my house. But it did not succeed”, he said.
Ganga ran to Stambh Chowki to avail the benefits of these planes, but in vain. Narrating her horrifying experience, Ganga said that she had gone to an internet center to request the benefits of the Griha Lakshmi scheme. “I found the government portal which was visible in my ration book. Then a ration book was requested. But there are only two options on this portal: male and female. Don’t fall into these categories”, he said.
Later, he visited the office of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, where officials told him that he could not issue ration books to even a single person. His parents live in a separate house and have a pension book. “I leave my home, or I have no family. “The officials have written a ration book,” he said.
Earlier, there were many cases in which all the members of the same family received individual ration cards in their names to avail more benefits. These individual cards have been abolished. This could be the reason why the department does not issue a single card, said T Krishnappa of the Association of Distributors de Tiendas de Precio Justo.
Sheetal from Chikkamagaluru said that without a ration card number, no one can request for the Griha Lakshmi programme. There are 350 transgenders in Chikkamagaluru, but only two have houses and get the benefits of the scheme as they live with their families.
According to Nisha Gulur, program director of Sangma, there is a provision for community members to obtain transgender cards. By showing this card, transgender persons can travel free in government-administered buses under the Shakti Yojana. Only 2,000 members have transgender cards in Karnataka. “Our NGO is helping transgender people to get these types of cards. The government should help the transgender community to avail the benefits of social assistance schemes”, said Nisha. He said, the government should conduct a census of transgender persons.
Lakshmi D Hospete said the Shakti scheme is not applicable to transgender persons. “We have given them transgender cards. But bus conductors say their ticket vending machines do not have the capacity to record transfer card numbers to issue free tickets”, he said.
