State forms welfare board for transgenders

Mumbai: The state government on Friday formed the Transgender Welfare Board that will provide avenues for formal education, expand employment opportunities, run health programmes and provide legal help to the community, said state social justice minister Rajkumar Badole.

Mr Badole on Thursday held a meeting on this issue at Mantralaya.

The Congress-led democratic front government in 2014 had carried out a similar exercise but the Board had not been set up. However, the BJP-led government set up this board when the state is going to polls later this year.

The social justice minister Mr Badole said, "The third gender and transgender are neglected in the society and there was misunderstanding regarding the community in society; hence, discrimination is meted out to them. Thus, the consequence is that this community (third gender) has been kept away from the process of development. Therefore, the government has accepted the guardianship of this community and has tried to
protect its rights. In addition to this, the transgender welfare board had been set up. The board would take welfare measures for this community." Mr Badole also said that the third gender would live with respect in society in the coming days and space would be made for this community.

The board will provide an identity card to third gender citizens. The cards will help them in education. They would be given scholarship after the matric exam (Class 10). The third gender students, who are eligible for hostels and are not yet provided with the facility, would be given the benefit of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Swadhar scheme. Under this scheme, '48 to 60 thousand would be given as scholarships to these students annually. Educated third gender people would get various employment opportunities, as the board would implement the skill development scheme for their upliftment.