Telangana government to recruit transgenders as volunteers for traffic regulation

The Telangana government has decided to rope in transgenders as volunteers to regulate traffic in Hyderabad.

In a first of its kind experiment in the country, the Telangana government has decided to rope in transgenders as volunteers to regulate traffic in Hyderabad, officials familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

Telangana government to recruit transgenders as volunteers for traffic regulation

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by chief minister A Revanth Reddy at the state secretariat on Friday. He instructed the authorities to engage the services of transgenders as volunteers in traffic management along with home guards, who are currently assisting the traffic police department in Hyderabad.

An official statement from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said Reddy asked the police authorities to gather the details of transgenders who are interested in this proposal. “They would be paid a monthly stipend for their work,” the statement said.

The CMO statement said it would be India’s first ever transgender-specific government recruitment-cum-social welfare programme. “It is the best example of creative and lateral thinking in governance and it attempts to solve two crucial problems simultaneously – providing employment to transgenders and at the same time, helping the traffic department regulate the traffic,” the statement said.

After identifying the transgenders willing to engage in the service, the government will recruit them as traffic volunteers and impart them training for a week or 10 days in traffic regulation. Subsequently, their services will be utilised to support Hyderabad traffic police. “The modalities of recruitment and terms of employment are being worked out,” the statement said.

The CMO statement further said that the government is also contemplating providing a unique uniform for the transgender traffic volunteers, which will be different from the uniform of the traffic cops.

“They will have a unique design, models for which are being worked out,” the statement said, adding that the idea of engaging transgenders in the traffic management is to “provide them a life of dignity and respect”.