DDA adds transgenders in its new housing forms

DDA’s vice chairman Balvinder Kumar, who was the brainchild behind including the option for a third gender on the forms, said the decision was taken because the authority wanted to reflect the progressive thinking of the society.

The Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) latest housing scheme is also one of its most inclusive.

For the first time ever, DDA has provided a third gender option on its 2014 housing scheme forms, under the heading of ‘transgender’.

In the part A of the first column of the form, applicants have to write their names and in part B, they have to tick on one of the three options to select their genders — male, female or transgender.

DDA’s vice chairman Balvinder Kumar — who was the brainchild behind including the option for a third gender on the forms — said the decision was taken because the authority wanted to reflect the progressive thinking of the society.

“They are an important section of the society and we decided that we must respect this segment also,” he said.

Sources in the authority said that this gender variable was not present in forms of previous housing schemes and even this time, the decision to include it was taken at the last moment. “The decision was taken by the vice chairman.

Though this led to a slight delay in the printing of forms but we decided that this change was for the better and important,” said a senior DDA official.
DDA had launched the scheme on September 1 and the scheme will remain open till October 9.

It has already sold more than 14.5 lakh forms and according to sources in the housing department, with about 20,000 applications have already been submitted.