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Govt. Will 'Sympathetically Consider' Giving COVID Cash Relief To Transgender Persons Not Holding Ration Cards: State To Madras High Court

Sparsh Upadhyay

30 May 2021 10:42 AM IST

    • Govt. Will Sympathetically Consider Giving COVID Cash Relief To Transgender Persons Not Holding Ration Cards: State To Madras High Court

    The Tamil Nadu State Government last week submitted before the Madras High Court that it will 'sympathetically consider' an extension of COVID-19 cash relief of Rs.4000/- to transgender persons in Tamil Nadu who do not possess Ration Cards.The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by a...

    The Tamil Nadu State Government last week submitted before the Madras High Court that it will 'sympathetically consider' an extension of COVID-19 cash relief of Rs.4000/- to transgender persons in Tamil Nadu who do not possess Ration Cards.

    The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by a transgender rights activist, Grace Banu Ganeshan, highlighting that most Transgender persons in Tamil Nadu do not possess ration cards.

    The plea by Banu sought a direction on the State Government to extend the cash benefits to transgenders that the State Government has extended to ration card-holders.

    According to the petitioner, a Board was set up by the State to register all transgenders in the State and issue identity cards. However, such a Board stopped functioning even before the pandemic set in, in 2020.

    The Advocate General Appearing for the State submitted that he will advise the Government to consider the matter related to transgender rights activist Grace Banu seeking COVID Cash Relief (4000/-) To Transgender Persons Not Holding Ration Cards.

    Alleging that over the last two years, transgender persons in Tamil Nadu are not even being issued Transgender Identity Cards, the plea argued that the authorities,
    "Failed to consider the right to life and livelihood of socially and economically backward Transgender Persons who have lost their livelihood due to the Covid19 lockdown imposed by the Government of Tamil Nadu."

    The plea also submitted that the Transgender Community are illiterate and hardly have enough knowledge to use an online portal for getting Transgender Identity Card as per the above said new law.

    Lastly, it was submitted on behalf of the State that the Government will sympathetically consider the matter pertaining to transgenders and the fact that the eligible persons need to possess ration cards may not stand in the way of their receiving the relief since there are other forms of identity cards that indicate their orientation.
    To this, the Court remarked:
    "The State Government should take a decision in such regard and come to the aid of the transgenders who require immediate relief. Let this matter appear on June 7, 2021, for the State Government to indicate if any measures have been taken in such regard."
    Case title - Grace Banu v. The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu Secretariat
    Tags
    Chief Justice Sanjib BanerjeeJustice Senthilkumar RamamoorthyTransgender PersonsTransgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019TransgenderTransgenders RightsTAMIL NADU GOVERNMENTMadras High CourtGRACE BANUJAYANA KOTHARICOVID Cash Relief To Transgender personsRation Cardscovidcovid-19
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