Provide Free Of Cost Ration, Food and Medicines To Transgenders : Telangana HC To State Govt [Read Order]

A division bench of Justice Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy gave the direction on April 27, while hearing a petition filed by Vyjayanti Mogli. The court said "The state government is directed to ensure that these commodities are given to the members of the transgender community free of cost and without insisting on the production of ration card/white card etc."

The petition had prayed for directions to the respondents to provide free of cost rations, food and nutrition and provisions including vegetables and fruits to members of the transgender community from ration shops and also from other outlets without insisting for the production of Ration card.

Provide Free of cost medicines to transgender persons including HIV medications, hormone therapy medicines, diabetes and other medications to be made available to transgender persons from primary health centres and from government and public hospitals. Allow transgender persons to apply for and provide the payment of three months social security pension to transgender persons under the Aasara scheme, provide free LPG cylinders and waive electricity bill lor 6 months to transgender persons in the lines of the similar assurance for 3 months under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.

Further, sought directions to authorities to extend the Aarogyashri govemment medical insurance to transgender persons and the Aarogyashri include the health challenges of COVID-19. To take appropriate action against those who are targeting the Transgender Persons by falsely labelling them in public as the potential carriers of HIV positive and Corona-Virus and consequently to protect them by providing appropriate security in all public places.

The bench on hearing the parties said "This writ petition has highlighted the plight of transgender population during the Covid-19 lockdown." It directed Advocate General B.S. Prasad, to submit a report with regard to the number of transgenders living in the major cities of the State. Concrete steps being taken by the State Government for ensuring that the members of the transgender community have ready availability of foodgrains, consumable items, and medicines as per their need and requirements, and the number of NGOS with which the Government is coordinating in order to ensure that all the essential commodities do reach the transgender community through these NGOs.

The report is to be e submitted by the learned Advocate General on or before May 08, 2020. The court further hear the case on May 11.