HYDERABAD: The TRS government had recently increased the Aasara pension amount from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,016 and brought down the age of eligibility to 57, so as to include more beneficiaries. The move has received a lot of praise. However, members of the Transgender community are angry at being excluded from the scheme.
Transgender person and activist Gauri Savant pointed out that in 2014, the Supreme Court’s judgement in the NALSA case ruled for trans persons to be recognised as a third gender and enjoy all fundamental rights, “Both State and the Central government are violating this judgment,” said Savant.
Another activist, V Vasanta Mogli, said that this was not a problem specific to this scheme. She said, “Education, employment/livelihoods, housing, healthcare/medicare and public accommodation/public utilities are the five key areas where transgender persons need welfare schemes. Almost all existing welfare schemes operating in the State, including double bedroom scheme, Aarogyasri exclude trans persons.”
She also said that in September 2018, she along with another transgender activist filed a PIL in the High Court on the MATTER. “The Telangana Government hasn’t even filed a counter-affidavit till date,” she added.