Uttar Pradesh to set up transgender welfare board

The transgender welfare board will identify transgenders across UP, enlist them, issue identity cards, get them enrolled in educational institutions, provide them accommodation under various hostel and housing schemes of the state government.

After granting rights to the transgender people to enable them to inherit ancestral agriculture land, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up a transgender welfare board under the state’s social welfare department.

The UP Kinnar Akhada Parishad had demanded for the constitution of the transgender welfare board after the Supreme Court in its order in 2014 recognised transgender as the third gender. (HT Photo)

“The Board would work for the welfare and uplift of the transgender community. Along with the state government officers, the board would also include transgender representatives and the members of the social organisations working for the welfare of the transgenders,” a state government official said.

He said the transgender welfare board will identify transgenders across UP, enlist them, issue identity cards, get them enrolled in educational institutions, provide them accommodation under various hostel and housing schemes of the state government and launch welfare schemes for the community.

The UP Kinnar Akhada Parishad had demanded for the constitution of the transgender welfare board after the Supreme Court in its order in 2014 recognised transgender as the third gender.

The Central government’s expert committee had directed the UP government to constitute a welfare board for transgenders, he said.

In March 2019, the State Law Commission, in a proposal submitted to the government, had raised the demand for a law acknowledging the inheritance rights of the ‘third gender’.

The commission’s chairman justice AN Mittal had drawn attention of the government towards the inheritance laws that missed the transgenders.

During the monsoon session, the legislative assembly passed the UP Revenue Code Bill, 2020 to allow the transgender people in the state to inherit ancestral agriculture land.