Consider Extending COVID Cash Relief To Applicants Who Have Applied To State Board To Be Considered As Transgenders: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Monday (June 14) said that the state should consider whether all applicants who have applied to the Transgender Board in the State by May 31, 2021 (and not beyond) may be considered as transgenders for the purpose of obtaining the benefit announced by the State.

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 Tamil Nadu State Government last month 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.

In response to this, the government came out with a notification dated June 3, 2021, however, it was submitted on behalf of the petitioner that not all transgenders have any form of identification or acknowledgment by any government organization of their status.

It was further submitted that the Transgender Board in the State has not been functioning for about a year and several applications for being recognized as transgenders remain pending.

The suggestion on behalf of the petitioner was that for the purpose of obtaining the limited assistance extended by the government to transgenders who carry some identification papers, the persons who have applied to the Transgender Board may be considered as eligible to receive the assistance.

To this, the Court directed:

"The State should consider whether all applicants who have applied to the Transgender Board in the State by May 31, 2021 (and not beyond) may be considered as transgenders for the purpose of obtaining the benefit announced by the State and extended already to some of the recognised transgenders."

The matter has been posted for further hearing on June 18, 2021.

Case title - Grace Banu v. The Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu Secretariat

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