Chandigarh, December 16
Nearly eight months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked Panjab University to be alive to challenges following the acceptance of ‘transgender’ as a separate sex and they coming forward to pursue higher education, the UT Administration has claimed the implementation of a scheme for setting up a shelter home for them shortly. Insurance cover for sex re-assignment surgery was also under consideration, the Bench was told.
Pursuant to an order issued by Justice Sudhir Mittal on November 16, UT Additional Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar, holding the charge of chairman, Transgender Welfare Board, appeared in the court. He submitted that the board’s future meetings would be held quarterly.
“A scheme for setting up a shelter for transgender persons known as ‘Garima Grah’ has been floated and is likely to be implemented shortly. A scheme for provision of insurance cover for sex re-assignment surgery is also being deliberated upon,” he added.
He added the board on its part was taking active steps to advertise the benefits available and the location at which these could be availed of. But it was difficult to identify and codify all steps that were required to be taken.
“Since the petitioner has already been granted accommodation in the working women’s hostel, the writ petition has been rendered infructuous and is disposed of as such,” Justice Mittal concluded. The petition before the Bench was filed by a transgender, aggrieved by unavailability of hostel accommodation even after grant of admission to a postgraduate course.
The Bench, during the course of hearing, was told that first semester had already been completed. As such, there was urgency in the matter. Justice Mittal had subsequently asked the varsity to act independently after it said a final decision on hostel accommodation to the transgenders would be taken only after receiving guidelines from the UT Administration.
Justice Mittal added the academics should be proactive and evolve strategies to address such challenges.
