New Delhi: Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal dashed off a letter to the Union Home Ministry to expedite the process of establishing the Transgender Welfare Board. The Commission further stated that the Home Ministry should notify the setting up of a Welfare Board for the third gender in New Delhi at the earliest. The issuance of notification will help in empowering the third-gender community.
To improve the condition of transgenders living in New Delhi, the chairperson of DCW has written a letter to the Union Home Ministry as well as the Social Welfare Department. It is learnt from the sources that the DCW has urged the Home Ministry as well Centre's Social Welfare Department to expedite the process of issuance of notification.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act came into existence in 2019. But, the new law dealing with third-gender issues and problems is not effective in New Delhi. It (the new law) has not been implemented in New Delhi in the absence of the Social Welfare Board. On the other hand, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government had informed the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) that it has approved the formation of a Transgender Welfare Board in the state (Delhi) and the notification in this regard has been pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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The Delhi Commission for Women also informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that at least 12 states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, have already constituted Transgender Welfare Boards. But, Delhi is lagging behind. Besides, the women's commission pointed out several loopholes in the implementation of The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, especially related to the issuance of identity cards to them.
These ID cards will be helpful for them (third-gender) to avail of several welfare schemes. The Commission sent letters to district magistrates of the districts concerned pointing out the loopholes in the ID cards. Just 76 identity cards have been issued to transgenders in New Delhi in the past three years, whereas as per the 2011 Census, New Delhi has 4,200 transgenders.
