Recognising the rights of the transgender community, two from the community were appointed as members of a Bench of the Prakasam Legal Services Authority on Sunday.
From now, the new Bench members B.Durga, a commerce graduate, and K.Priyanka, a B.Tech graduate, can contribute their mite in deciding criminal, civil and pre-litigation that comes up for resolution before the Lok Adalat, an alternative dispute resolution mode, said Principal District Judge M.G. Priyadarshini.
“For the first time in the country, members from the community are taken in the Bench here in keeping with the Supreme court ruling recognising the transgender community as a third gender,” she said after giving the order to the duo.
Transgenders had long been ostracised for no fault of theirs.
Members of the community were facing a host of problems in accessing the benefits of welfare schemes including housing and getting the all important Aadhaar, Ration and other cards, observed DLSA Secretary T. Raja Venkatadri.
The appointment would go a long way in main-streaming the community, he said.
‘Huge relief’
The apex court ruling on a petition filed by the National Legal Services Authority came as a big relief in safeguarding the rights guaranteed under the Constitution, said Durga and Priyanka and vowed to proactively work for resolution of the problems faced by the community with the support and guidance of the Principal District Judge.
Members of the community had not fully realised the benefits, she said referring to the apex court's direction to the Union and the State governments to treat them as socially and educationally backward classes and provide reservation for them in educational institutions and in government jobs, they said.
