COVID19: Jharkhand HC Directs State Govt. To Ensure Basic Neccesities For Transgenders During Lockdown, Seeks Reply On Other Welfare Measures

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday directed the State Government to ensure that basic necessities such as food and shelter are provided to transgender people.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan & Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad  further directed the State to file a Counter Affidavit regarding the steps taken in a plea filed by Advocate Sonal Tiwary for Amarjeet Singh who sought directions from the State Government for providing meals and other facilities to transgender people "as they were feeling helpless due to the lockdown situation".

The Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan did not counter averments in this regard and submitted that the State was in fact "duty bound to take care of transgender people" and was willing to take immediate steps in this regard, if a list of bonafide transgender people is submitted by the petitioner.

Apart from the above, the Court further sought reply & steps taken by the State Government on numerous other issues, which were taken up together along-with the aforementioned petition. These included status and adequacy in supply of medical essentials, welfare of migrant workers.

The Court also took noted of the issue surrounding non-supply of rapid testing kits, wherein the bench noted, was not done basis a specific statement, despite repeated asking.

In related news, the Karnataka High Court on April 9 directed the state government to extend relief under the 'Mythri scheme' for transgenders immediately on receiving applications from all eligible members of the community.

The bench had noted that,

"If transgenders who are covered by Mythri Scheme make an application for grant of the benefits under the Mythri Scheme, the State Government or the concerned Authorities will have to dispose of those applications immediately considering the prevailing situation and extend the benefits under the Mythri Scheme to all the eligible members of the transgender community."

Furthermore, Courts across the country, including the Supreme Court have been consistently passing directing and guidelines for welfare of the public at large in light of the prevailing crisis amid COVID19 pandemic.

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