Form Transgender Welfare Board in six weeks: Gauhati High Court

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Devashish Baruah directed the Assam Government to expedite the process of constituting the Transgender Welfare Board in terms of Clause 7.3.3 of the guidelines of the Assam State Policy for Transgender Persons and to complete it within the next six weeks.

The standing counsel of the State Finance Department placed on record a copy of the sanction letter issued on June 26, 2023, as per which, acting on the request of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, an amount of Rs. 6,00,000 had been sanctioned as grant-in-aid for setting up the Office of the Transgender Welfare Board.

Swati B. Baruah, the counsel of the petitioner, submitted that the procedure that has been laid out in the Assam State Policy for Transgender Persons is more or less satisfactory, and once the Board becomes functional, many issues being faced by transgender persons will be addressed.

“We, therefore, direct the respondents to expedite the process of constituting the Board in terms of Clause 7.3.3 of the guidelines of Assam State Policy for Transgender Persons and to complete the same within the next six weeks,” the bench said.

The bench said that the senior Additional Government Advocate shall take instructions regarding the setting up of the Transgender Protection Cell under the DGP in accordance with Rule 11 (5) of the Rules promulgated vide notification issued on September 25, 2020.

The bench asked the government to place on record the compliance report by August 8, when the PIL (2/2022) will be heard again.

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