Maharashtra district's New Year gift for transgenders - Rs 12,000 annual assistance

Fulfilling a long-pending demand, Palghar district has taken the lead in Maharashtra to provide monthly financial assistance to transgenders from New Year 2022, sending waves of excitement among this deprived sexual minority.

Around 100 identified and eligible transgenders in the district will be entitled to modest assistance of Rs 1,000 per month (totaling Rs 12,000 annually) which will be deposited directly into their bank accounts, Palghar District Collector Dr Manik Gursal said.

"The financial assistance will be given under the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana of the state government which is available for destitute, blind, disabled, orphans, victims of major illnesses, divorced or abandoned women, outraged or women rescued from prostitution, transgenders, etc," Gursal told IANS.

The scheme stipulates an annual income limit of up to Rs 21,000.

With the help of a social worker, Vaibhav Sankhe, a district-level survey was undertaken and around 100 eligible transgenders were identified for the scheme.

Sankhe said the officials came to know how a majority of them were abandoned in childhood or thrown out due to embarrassment by their own families when they realised their sexual divergence or preference.

"A majority don't have even the basic documents or a bank account Most are illiterate. We shall register them, give them the certificate, prepare their necessary documents like Ration Card, Aadhaar Card, Election Card, etc, and assist them to open bank accounts where the government will transfer the money online," Gursal explained.

For this purpose, the district administration has set up a four-member medical team comprising Dr Pradeep Thodi, Dr Vivek Kini, Dr Pragnya Savardikar and Dr Jaypalsingh Rajput, to certify the prospective beneficiaries as per the rules, he added.

Sankhe explained how most transgenders are forced to lead a wretched life, are shunned and condemned by mainstream society, have no dignity or documents to avail assistance under any official scheme, and are relegated to the societal pavements.

"However, we expect all this will change with the remarkable initiative taken by the Collector Dr Gursal and with mentorship from concerned persons like Dr Manoj Shinde of Boisar," Sankhe said.

Gursal said that to enable the maximum transgenders in the far-flung areas, he has delegated powers at the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate level who can issue the certificate and other relevant documents.

"We are not even asking them to come to the district or taluka headquarters. We organize camps where the transgenders can go and register themselves for the documents and other formalities," Gursal said.

One of the transgenders, Aarti, told local newspersons how the community felt "overwhelmed" by the initiative which will help them to join the mainstream.

"We thank and bless Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the Collector, and others for treating us like human beings, giving us the necessary documents which are easily available to all the other normal people," said Aarti.

Aarti added how difficult it was for transgenders to survive, especially when they attained seniority with no social support systems or financial resources, but the aid under SGNY would bring some succour.

With Palghar becoming the first district in the state to implement the SGNY scheme, it is expected that the remaining 35 districts may follow suit soon, giving a boost to the much-neglected issues concerning the transgenders and even the larger LGBTQ communities.

However, there is no reliable data available on the number of transgenders in the state with figures ranging from 5,000 to 15,000. Officials say a proper district-wise survey could provide accurate statistics to extend the SGNY benefits to all.

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