BENGALURU, 4 SEPT

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister of Women and Child Development, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, launched a comprehensive baseline survey of the transgender community along with a resurvey of former Devadasis in 15 districts.

The Chief Minister and Hebbalkar officially flagged off the initiative by unveiling a campaign poster at Vidhana Soudha in the city on Thursday.

The survey, led by the Karnataka State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), aims to collect accurate data on the social and economic conditions of two historically marginalised groups — transgender individuals and former Devadasis — to design effective rehabilitation and support programmes for them.

“This is not just a data exercise — it’s a step toward dignity, inclusion, and justice,” officials said during the launch.

The objectives of the survey are to document the social and economic status of transgender individuals and enable targeted welfare schemes and policy planning.

KSWDC chairperson, Parmavati, principal secretary of the Women and Child Development Department, Shamla Iqbal and managing director of KSWDC, Mahesh Babu, were present on the occasion. Senior government officials and representatives from the transgender and Devadasi communities also took part in the programme.