KOCHI: In a bid to ensure that benefits of the state government's welfare projects reach transgenders, the social justice department is planning to issue identity cards to the community. In Ernakulam, the department has invited applications from transgenders for issuing the cards.
According to district social justice officer Preethi Wilson, transgenders will immensely benefit from identity cards.“Most of the transgenders possess voter identity card in which their gender as transgender has not been mentioned. Similarly, there are no official cards in which the transgender category is mentioned. It was the transgender community that approached the government for such an identity card.
This card can be used for availing benefits of various welfare projects initiated for the transgender community by the government,” she said.Along with the application, a copy of the voter or any other identity card has to be attached. The last date for filing applications is March 7. The application form can be downloaded from the social justice department website.Once an application is filed, it will be scrutinised by district-level Transgender Justice Committees. The department expects to start issuing cards by March 31.
“Till now, we have received around 32 applications. Even though a large number of transgenders are staying in Ernakulam, a majority of them are from other districts. There is no proper data that could confirm the number of transgenders in Ernakulam or in Kerala,” she said.“We don't think a database of transgenders can be created by issuing identity cards. Several transgenders prefer not to reveal their identity. Until there is social stigma against transgenders, they prefer to live isolated. But the social justice department is carrying out several welfare projects to bring them into the mainstream. For this, the society's mentality against transgenders has to change,” she said.