Transgenders denied promised rations by govt

As the hijras in Telangana continue to face trouble in getting ration rice from the fair price shops, even after the government promised before the court, that 10 kg of rice is to be given to each hijra irrespective of whether or not she has a ration card, the Telangana High Court asked the advocate general to get the government to look into the issue.

The court also sought information on whether separate wards were created in Covid-19 care hospitals to extend treatment to the hijra community.

The bench, headed by chief justice, Raghavendra Singh Chauhan, expressed concern on this issue on Thursday, in relation to the contentions raised by Ms. Kothari, counsel for the petitioner, hijra activist Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, who informed the bench that despite the orders of the court, the people running the fair price shops are insisting that hijras show ration cards defying the orders of V. Anil Kumar, commissioner of civil supplies department, Telangana, who had issued circular instructions to concerned officials dealing with supply of free 10 kgs of rice to all hijras, from July to November, 2020.

Though the director of medical education has made a statement in the media that separate wards will be created in all government hospitals to extend treatment to hijras infected with Covid-19, nothing of the sort has materialised as yet, contended the counsel for the petitioner.