KOCHI:A petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court, seeking a directive to the State Government to provide all the due benefits and privileges to transgenders as per the Supreme Court order.
The petition was filed by High Court lawyer Basil Attipetty. The petitioner pointed out that the Supreme Court had directed the Central Government and the state governments to come forward with positive steps to address the grievances of transgenders.
“While Tamil Nadu and New Delhi have taken steps to implement the directives of the Supreme Court, Kerala has not initiated any step in this regard,” stated the petitioner.
The petitioner pointed out that following the Supreme Court order, Tamil Nadu formulated a transgender policy for the welfare of the third gender.
The schemes under the policy include free housing; free admission in government colleges with full scholarship for higher studies; and alternative sources of livelihood. Tamil Nadu is the first state to form a Transgender Welfare Board, with representatives from the transgender community. The Delhi Government is in the process of formulating a financial assistance scheme of Rs 1,000 per month to transgenders who have been living in Delhi for at last 3 years.
A scheme to provide subsidy of Rs 600 per month on food has already been started under the Delhi Annashree Yojna, and also a scheme for free admission and education in schools without any reserved quota. Hence, the petitioner sought a directive to the State Government, 1) to sanction a monthly allowance to every transgender living in Kerala, and 2) to direct the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide free education, food, shelter, clothing and monetary allowance to them.