Telangana HC Halts Gruhalakshmi Scheme Benefits for Non-Tribal Beneficiaries

 Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday issued interim orders restraining the release of Rs 3 lakh monetary benefit under the Gruhalakshmi Scheme to non- tribal beneficiaries in Scheduled V areas, and sought an explanation from the government.

Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy issued the order while dealing with a petition complaining that the collectors of districts which have Scheduled Areas did not take into consideration the special safeguards and mechanisms provided in Regulation 1/70 — that land in the Scheduled Areas cannot be allotted to the non-tribals — as also under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act.

The petitioners said the selection of beneficiaries in Schedule V areas should be done only through PESA gram sabhas.

Ch. Ravi Kumar, counsel for the petitioners, said that the state government’s guidelines in GO 25, about eligibility conditions and exclusion for the Gruhalakshmi scheme, had failed to stipulate that the financial support will not be provided to non-tribal beneficiaries for house construction.

He said that the collectors were proceeding to release money to non-tribal beneficiaries in the Schedule V areas. If it is allowed, members of the Scheduled Tribes communities will be put to irreparable loss and injury.