A Bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti had previously observed that while five states have complied, the Union government and other respondent states have yet to file their responses despite multiple adjournments
GUWAHATI: Assam has established a Transgender Welfare Board, along with four other states including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This update was shared with the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 21.
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According to reports, the development comes after the court issued a notice in November last year, directing states to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the formation of welfare boards to address the issues faced by the transgender community.
A Bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti had previously observed that while five states have complied, the Union government and other respondent states have yet to file their responses despite multiple adjournments.
For this, the court had granted a final extension of six weeks for compliance, warning that non-compliance will result in a penalty of ₹40,000 to be paid to the respective legal aid cells.
The PIL, filed in 2021 by the Kinner Maa Eksamajik Sanstha Trust, highlights the pressing challenges faced by transgender individuals, including discrimination, unemployment, lack of housing, and restricted access to education and healthcare.
Advocates Narender Kumar Verma and Jaya Sukin, representing the trust, emphasised the critical role welfare boards could play in mitigating these issues and ensuring equitable opportunities for the community.
