Give us ration cards: transgenders

We are unable to open even a bank account, they say

A group of transgenders at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Monday to submit a petition. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

The Coimbatore District Transgenders Welfare Association has urged the district administration to provide family cards for them.

A group of transgenders submitted a petition to District Collector Archana Patnaik during the public grievances redress meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday.

They said that 96 transgenders in Coimbatore district were not having family cards.

Because of this, they were unable to avail themselves of the concessions given by the State Government, open bank accounts, apply for electoral voter identity cards, or join self-help groups, they added.

Sewerage works

Members of the Social Awareness Movement have urged the district administration to investigate the quality of a sewerage being constructed at Saibaba Colony.

The organisation’s president J.D. Socrates said that the residents had apprehensions over the quality of the construction work, for which a tender of Rs. 10 lakh was floated.

Autorickshaw fares

Coimbatore District Autorickshaw Workers All Association Joint Committee has urged the district administration to fix the meter fares immediately.

At present, a fare system had been fixed for Chennai alone by the State Government.

P.R. Natarajan, MP, and K. Arumugham, MLA, accompanied the association members led by president P.K. Sukumaran and submitted a petition to District Collector Archana Patnaik during the public grievances redress meeting held at the Collectorate on Monday.

Mr. Sukumaran said that the fares have not been fixed despite orders from the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court.

As a result, the number of patrons have declined in recent times resulting in hardship for the autorickshaw drivers.

Government officials have warned the autorickshaw drivers against going ahead with a move to fix the fares unilaterally.

The association wanted the minimum fare fixed at Rs. 14 for the first kilometre and Rs. 6 for every subsequent kilometre, to be revised as it was fixed in 2007. The petrol prices had been revised around 25 times from 2007.

The tariff system of the government must reflect the present day inflation. As such, the unions and other stake holders must be consulted. Considering the interests of the thousands of autorickshaw drivers, the State Government must announce a tariff system immediately, Mr. Sukumaran added.

Prison visits

The Bharath Sena urged the district administration to instruct the Coimbatore Central Prison officials to allow the prisoners to see visitors during festival times.

The Sena State general secretary, Senthil Kannan, said that officials had refused permission for Hindu activists lodged in the prison to meet visitors during festival times. As such, the organisations were unable to give new clothes or sweets during festivals.

Cow slaughter

The Hindu Munnani has urged the district administration to prevent cow laughter in Coimbatore.