The Hindu: Chennai: Friday, 16 October 2015.
Once a model
for the rest of the country, the Board has been inactive for the past few
years, say former members.
In April
2008, when Tamil Nadu set up a Transgender Welfare Board, the State was hailed
as a model for progressive development. Other states, including Maharashtra and
West Bengal, followed suit. But now, over seven years after its formation,
former members allege that the board is completely inactive.
The reply to
a Right to Information (RTI) petition filed by The Hindu confirms this: the
last meeting of the Board was held was in December 2013. Ironically, the
minutes of that meeting reveal that the Minister for Social Welfare, who heads
the board, had recommended that it meet every three months.
The Board was
set up with 11 official members including the social welfare minister, director
of social welfare, the finance and law secretaries and the chairperson of the
women’s commission, among others. It had nine non-official members from the
transgender community and from non-governmental organisations.
According to
the RTI reply, the non-official members initially had a three-year tenure, from
2008 to 2011 but since the end of their tenure, the Board has not been
reconstituted. “A new list of non-official members was recommended for the
reconstitution of the Board and was sent to the government. However, there has
been no decision on this as yet,” the reply says. Since the non-official
members’ tenure expired in 2011, subsequent meetings were held only with
official members, the reply says.
Members
allege that the change in government has led to the non-functioning of the
Board it was set up by a previous regime.
“We have no
idea what is going on whether the Board is running or whether we are part of
it. Setting up the board was not part of a political agenda for us we did it
for the benefit of transgenders in Tamil Nadu,” said one member, who wanted to
remain anonymous.
For the first
three years, said R. Jeeva, another member, meetings were held every three
months and work went on. “After that, every year we have gone and asked them
what is happening with the Board, but we have never received a proper
response,” she said.
According to
the social welfare department’s performance budget for 2015-16, the assistance
provided by what the document calls the third gender welfare board, includes
educational loans. But as per the RTI reply, in over seven years, only two
persons have received educational assistance. “We have told them of so many
transgenders who are in need of such loans. They take the proposals from us,
but money is never given,” said Ms. Jeeva.
House pattas,
free housing and short stay homes are also among the assistance measures
listed, but as per the RTI reply, only 29 houses have been built and handed
over so far at Rs. 75,000 per house, all in Coimbatore district. Funds have
been sanctioned for another 133 houses in eight districts. “This has been an
essential requirement of ours, as transgenders find it very difficult to get
housing. Very few people are willing to rent to us,” said a member.
Another
scheme listed is that of a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 for destitute
transgenders over the age of 40. “The pension is erratic. It comes once in six
or seven months. February was the last month many received it,” she said.
The Board’s
inactivity is very unfortunate, said A.J. Hariharan of Indian Community Welfare
Organisation, a non-official member. “It was a very encouraging move and meant
a lot to the community. Now, it is not functioning at all. Community members
have appealed several times to no avail. I have had no communication from them
after 2011,” he said.
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