MCD to give eunuchs Rs 1,000 monthly dole

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has cleared a proposal wherein eunuchs will be given Rs 1,000 every month. Not only this, the civic agency may also employ them for tax collection.

Eunuchs in the city can now look forward to a permanent monthly income.

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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has cleared a proposal wherein eunuchs will be given Rs 1,000 every month. Not only this, the civic agency may also employ them for tax collection.

There are at least 3.5 lakh eunuchs in Delhi, according to the Kinnar association. They will now have to register themselves with the civic agency.

“The proposal was approved by the House on 15 March,” said Deep Mathur, director, press and information, MCD. “It will be implemented soon.”

A municipal councillor, Malti Verma, had floated the proposal in February.

“When they are young, they earn money through dancing and singing in the streets but once they start growing old, they don’t have the energy to earn like that. They don’t even have family to take care of them. Some take to begging, which borders on extortion many a times,” said Verma. “It’s our responsibility as public representatives to help them.”

In Pakistan, after a Supreme Court order, eunuchs were deployed for tax collection. In India too, they help collect property tax in cities such as Bhopal.

In her proposal, councillor Verma had suggested eunuchs should be used for tax collection in Delhi too. However,
this is yet to be cleared by the civic body.