Mumbai: Maharashtra forms board for welfare of the third gender

Rajkumar Badole, social justice minister, heads the board. Pic/Twitter

Maharashtra now has a government-run board to ensure the welfare of the third gender (eunuchs, trans people - transgender or transsexual). The social justice minister heads the body, which will ensure socio-economic and human rights to the community, which has been demanding justice for long.

Giving them social status
Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole who also heads the special assistance department, told mid-day that the third gender has been treated badly and with indifference.

"The persons who belong to this category have been kept away from the development and welfare initiatives of the government. It is time that the government acted as their guardian to give them a social and economic status," he said, adding that this neglected strata of society would now be brought into the mainstream.

To begin with, the board will issue identity cards to third gender people. They will be assisted in education with scholarships after SSC for higher education. Those who don't get accommodation in hostels despite eligibility, will be given assistance of about Rs 60,000 per year through the Ambedkar Swaadhar Yojna. The skilled and educated will be provided job opportunities so they are not forced to go around with a begging bowl.

Providing a housing scheme
In due course of time, a housing scheme will also come up for the third gender. On the health care front, special camps will be held periodically, so that third gender people become aware of ailments, and treatment made available for them by the government. The board will also tackle addiction among the third gender. A series of special drives will be planned.

The board will have a minister of state as its co-chairman. The department secretary will be vice-chairman. A noted person of the third gender community will be drafted as co-vice-chairman. Other than these, one member each of the lower and upper house, a social activist, a healthcare activist, deputy secretary-rank officers from 14 departments, representatives of the AIDS Control Society and Dr BR Ambedkar Samata Pratishthan and the social justice commissioner will be part of the board.

Activist speaks
Speaking on the board, Ashok Row Kavi, activist for sexual minorities and chief of Humsafar Trust, said, "It was long overdue. The idea was first mooted during Prithiviraj Chavan's chief ministership and a huge meeting of the state's Hijra and Jogta gurus was called and convened then. But it was not taken forward due to some problems.

There are around 90,000 hijras in the Mumbai-Pune-Surat triangle and there is a very high instance of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases among them due to their sex work profession, which is because they are not given any other jobs. So this is a good start and I hope the government is serious this time."

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