UP Constitutes Transgender Welfare Board
Lucknow, Sep 16 (TNA) In a move that could provided the much needed healing touch to the transgender population in India's most populous state, the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a 'Kinnar Kalyan Board (Transgender Welfare Board).
A total 23-member board has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Social Welfare Minister. In this, a vice-president and five members would be eunuchs. The board will give suggestions to the government for policy and institutional reforms while working on the needs, issues and problems of the transgenders. There are about 1.5 lakh eunuchs in the state.
The constitution of the Board follows a directive of the Supreme Court, an official informed. The Chairman of the Board will be the Minister of Social Welfare, while the eunuch nominated by the Chief Minister will be the Vice-Chairman. The Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary of the Social Welfare Department will be the convener.
Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary of Women Welfare, Home, Finance, Medical, Women and Child Development, Rural Development, Urban Development, Justice Department, Basic and Secondary and Higher Education, Police Commissioner of Lucknow, five representatives of transgender community and two representatives of working NGOs have been made members of the board.
The eunuchs will get identity cards. Centers will also be set up for psychological counselling to transgenders. There are around 1.25 lakh transgenders in Uttar Pradesh.
Ministers will nominate five eunuchs and representatives of NGOs. The term of non-official members will be three years. The member secretary of the board will be the director social welfare. The Board will be required to meet in three months. The board meeting will be held as soon as everyone is nominated.
The work of the Board will be to implement the transgender policy in departments as well as to issue guidelines for the educational, social and economic development of the eunuchs, to implement them by issuing guidelines for equality and equality and to decide on the cases of the district level committee or eunuch assistance unit.
There will also be a 13-member committee under the chairmanship of DM in the districts, which will meet every month. SSP, CMO, ACMO, Body President, BSA, District Probation Officer, Child Development Project Officer, District Program Officer and psychologist nominated by DM and two representative members of transgender community and District Social Welfare Officer will be member secretary.