AP Reconstitutes Transgender Welfare Board, Appoints New Members
As part of the restructuring, the government nominated district collectors to ensure regional representation in the board.
Vijayawada:In a significant move aimed at strengthening the welfare and protection of transgender persons, the state government has appointed new members to the state welfare board for transgender persons.
The state government issued orders constituting the new board in accordance with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
As part of the restructuring, the government nominated district collectors to ensure regional representation in the board. The Visakhapatnam collector is the representative for the Andhra region, while the Tirupati collector would represent the Rayalaseema region.
Officials said the decision would help address region-specific issues faced by transgender persons and improve the implementation of welfare schemes at the grassroots level.
The government has also inducted three transgender representatives as nominated members of the board. They are Kota Prem Sagar Ray, Nakka Jeevan Kumari and Bonu Durga. Officials said the inclusion would enable the community’s concerns and demands to directly reach the government.
The tenure of the newly appointed members will be for two years or until further orders are issued.
The appointments were made through GO-Ms-14 issued by the women, children, differently-abled and senior citizens welfare department. The order underlined the government’s commitment to implementing transgender welfare programmes more effectively across the state.
Officials said the state government is taking steps to extend better support to transgender persons in areas such as education, employment, healthcare and social security.
The welfare board is expected to play a key role in enforcing the provisions of the transgender persons (Protection of Rights) act, 2019 and in ensuring equal rights and dignity for the transgender community.
Meanwhile, state women’s commission chairperson Rayapati Sailaja welcomed the government’s decision. She recalled that she had brought the problems faced by the transgender community to the notice of minister Nara Lokesh on May 4.