New Delhi: Republican Party National Secretary-General Dr Rajiv Menon has urged the Delhi government to implement the Transgender Welfare Board (TWB) at the earliest. While 12 Indian states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, have formed the Transgender Welfare Board, there is still nothing in the capital. The formation of a Government Welfare Fund Board is essential for transgender persons to protect their rights and interests and facilitate access to welfare measures. Dr Rajiv Menon urged the Delhi government to take utmost care of the welfare of transgenders and implement various welfare schemes to identify them.
Transgenders should be given livelihood opportunities, educational assistance and social security that give them an identity in the society. “It is a failure of the government that despite the setting up of transgender welfare fund boards in 12 states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram, no such board has been set up in the country’s capital city so far,” Menon said. Menon said he would lodge a complaint with the Centre and the Delhi government about the lack of a transgender welfare board and the implementation of a law to protect their rights in the national capital.
As per the transgender welfare policy, transgenders are required to get free sex reassignment surgery in government hospitals, free housing, various citizenship documents, admission to government colleges with full scholarship for higher studies, income and generation programmes (IGP) etc. The third gender, who are looking for a livelihood through decent employment, will also have to be provided financial assistance to set up grocery stores, canteens, start small businesses such as selling textiles, coir, rice and vegetables. The Delhi Social Welfare Department had once claimed to have ratified the constitution of the transgender welfare board in the city. Dr Rajeev Menon pointed out that the notification has been delayed for months without any response.
