New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has referred the Transgender Bill, which seeks to empower the community by providing them a separate identity, to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice. The panel has also been asked to submit its report within three months.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, seeks to define a transgender person and prohibits discrimination against them, was introduced in the Lok Sabha last month. “Members are in-formed that the Speaker, Lok Sabha has referred the Trans-gender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, as introduced in Lok Sabha, to the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment for examination and report within three months,” Lok Sabha said on Thursday.
The Bill confers the right upon transgender persons to be recognised as such and also grants them right to “self-perceived” gender identity. It provides for a grievance redress mechanism in each establishment to ensure the rights of transgenders are protected and they are insulated from any sort of harassment.
The measure provides for a jail term from at least six months to a maximum of two years with a fine for those found guilty of of using transgenders for bonded labour or begging.
