UP: Minister Shastri approves setting up of transgender welfare board in state

Officials said that as per the proposal, the vice-chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board will be from the transgender community, who will be appointed by the Chief Minister, while the chairperson will be the Minister for Social Welfare.

“The aim behind the Board’s establishment is to empower the transgender community and bring them into the mainstream. The three main functions of the Board will be to provide transgender people identity cards, ensure that they get better healthcare, educational facilities, jobs and social security,” Additional Chief Secretary (Social Welfare) Manoj Singh told The Indian Express.

“The Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board will have eight members, all ACS-ranked officers of different departments, including Home, Social Welfare, Rural Development. The convener of the Board will be the Director for Social Welfare Department,” added Singh.

Apart from the Board, special committees for the transgender community will be set up in all the districts headed by District Magistrates, the officer added.

According to the 2011 Census, Uttar Pradesh has 1.37 lakh people belonging to the transgender community.

An official of the Social Welfare Department said that the constitution of the Board is being done as people belonging to the community face several issues like social exclusion, economic hardships, and psychological issues.

Officials said that in the presentation given to minister Shastri, issues faced by the community such as harassment by law enforcement agencies were listed. It was highlighted in the presentation that the human rights of transgender people are violated in police stations because of which they live in fear.

Because of fear of discrimination, some people from the community hide the fact that they are transgender, leading to trauma and sometimes, suicides, it added.