State announces jail sentence for those who refuse to give houses on rent to them

The Bihar government has said that it would provide money to transgender members who opt for sex change operations and also jail from six months to two years to those who refused to give them house on rents or violate their rights.

The State government also formed a transgender welfare board to look into their problems and protect their rights.

“If someone [from the transgender community] undergoes sex change operation, then the Bihar government would give ₹1.5 lakh”, announced Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi while inaugurating Kinnar Mahotsva, an annual cultural programme of the transgender community in Patna on July 14.

Mr. Modi also said that those who refused to give their house on rent to transgenders, did disparity in providing them health-related facilities or violated their rights could get a jail sentence ranging from six months to two years.

“The newly formed Bihar Rajya Kinnar Kalyan Board (Bihar State Transgender Welfare Board) will also look into facilities being provided to the members of this community in other States...so that they too could be given to them here in Bihar,” Mr. Modi said.

Wearing rainbow bands on their wrists and faces, members of the transgender community participated in the “Bihar Pride Parade” in the city on the occasion.

“We should not be judged on the basis of our gender but on our credibility and capability,” said Dimple Jasmine, said co-organiser of the parade.

“Bihar is the first State which has started organising an annual festival of the transgender community Kinnar Mahotsva and brought the members on a platform…we want respect, security and employment to members of our community,” said organiser of the event Reshma Prasad.