Hundreds of transgenders here on Saturday demanded inclusion of the community in Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and sought immediate issue of voter identity cards against their names.
At a convention that marked setting up of TG Surakshya Trust, a non-government initiative for welfare of third genders, here, community leader such as Sabnam, a former legislators from Madhya Pradesh and Madhu Kinnar, Mayor of Raighar Municipal Corporation, batted for livelihood protection and shelter for transgenders.
“All landless transgenders should be provided land, houses under Rajiv Awas Yojna in urban area and under Indira Awas Yojna. Transgenders who have crossed 50 years should also get pensions since most of them do not have source of livelihood,” Pratap Kumar Sahu, president of All Odisha Kinnar Mahasangh.
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Similarly, transgenders, who have sizeable presence in the society, must get four per cent reservation in electoral politics and five per cent reservation in recruitments in private and public sector.
They also mooted for a law for prevention of torture against transgenders.