World's first transgender help desk set up at Gachibowli police station
Cyberabad police commissioner V.C Sajjanar on 6 March inaugurated the world’s first help desk for the transgender community at the Gachibowli police station.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 7 March 2021 12:59 PM IST
Cyberabad police commissioner V.C Sajjanar on 6 March inaugurated the world's first help desk for the transgender community at the Gachibowli police station.
Padma Shri Awardee Sunitha Krishnan said this historic moment would pave the way for a long journey of building bridges to create an equitable society for all. "As the first-ever initiative in the country, the community desk will play a critical role in not just addressing the violence but also providing access and referral linkages to all existing welfare schemes," she added.
In 2014, the Supreme Court recognized the transgender community as the third gender and ruled that they have equal privilege over the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
Vidyasagar, the joint collector of Medchal, said his district will prepare a comprehensive dossier of welfare schemes for the help desk. He along with the additional collector of Rangareddy district Pratik Jain committed to provide all support from the district administration for the welfare of the transgender community.
The 'Transgender Community Desk' will be managed by a police liaison officer and a transgender person who will be designated as a community coordinator. The desk will be the focal point for all grievance redressal among the transgender community in Cyberabad commissionerate and will provide support to file cases in offences related to violence or discrimination against any transgender person.
Among other services, the desk will also provide counselling, legal aid, life-skills, soft skills training, job placements, and referral linkages to welfare schemes in partnership with the department of women and child welfare and district legal services authority. The Society for Cyberabad Security Council will organize monthly employability training and life-skill training and facilitate access to job opportunities while Prajwala will assist the desk to facilitate safe space for any transgender person who needs an emergency transit stay.
Mr. Sajjanar also felicitated accomplished transgender persons for their contributions during the launch of the help desk. Among them was Shane Mills, a senior analyst for Dell Computers; Jasmine, the secretary of trans equality initiatives which has done extensive work in the two Telugu states; Imtiyaz, a diploma-holder in multipurpose health worker and a lab technician; and Manikyam, a diploma-holder in electronics and communications.
