If you stop at a traffic signal in any city and don't hear the sound of 'clap', it will be a surprise. Many third parties (paralingas) are seen on the city's traffic signals, clapping their hands and smiling to fill their stomachs. Some give ten rupees and some walk away pretending not to have seen it. Some insult them. In the life of the transsexual community, the traffic signal lights, which are important for clapping and begging, will now shine in their lives.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation presented the city's budget for the year 2024-25 on Wednesday. In this budget, Municipal Commissioner G. Srikanth, while presenting the budget of Rs 4 thousand 154 crore for the financial year, made special provision for the transgender community in the city. In this budget, under the women and child welfare department, the municipality has made a provision of 1 crore for transgenders in the budget this year. Contractual appointment, training etc. of a transgender person as 'Parking enforcement officer'. Activities will be implemented. This is the first municipal corporation in the state to implement such an initiative for third parties. Along with the traffic police, transgender persons will also be involved as 'traffic wardens' to control the traffic at the signals.
This decision of the Municipal Corporation has been welcomed by the city's transgender community. Saima Sheikh, a third-party activist in Sambhajinagar city, talking to Baimanoos about the decision of the Municipal Corporation, said, "This decision of the Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation is welcome. Begging and prostitution are the only options left to the Kinner community. For many years, the transgender community has been demanding the government to 'help bring us into the mainstream'. Can we provide business loans? Or will job opportunities be provided in government and private places? The transgender community has been waiting for this for many days. In all this, this decision of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation is very important and comforting for the transgenders of this city. But information about what the education conditions will be or what other rules there will be be should be properly communicated from the Municipal Corporation to us appointed on a contract basis."
It has been five years today since the transgender Rights and Protection Bill, 2019 was passed. The Supreme Court has recommended that transgender persons be given reservations in public jobs and education. After five years, this directive of the Supreme Court has been implemented in the city of Sambhajinagar, albeit at the municipal level.
Shamibha Patil, representing the transsexual community, spoke to Baimanus about this decision. According to him, “the decision taken for the transgender community in the budget of Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation will help the transgender community to live with dignity in by society. It would be better if such decisions municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Pune Municipal Corporation has provided jobs for transgenders as security guards in Pimpri-Chinchwad. In that way, if decisions are taken in the municipal corporation of the state, it will help the transgender community to live with dignity in the society. In India, except for Kerala, no such decision has been taken yet at the municipal level, and if such decisions are being taken in Maharashtra, then that decision is welcome. She also said.
