Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) has welcomed the State Administrative Council decision to sanction the extension of the coverage of Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS) to transgenders, by including them as beneficiaries.JKPM Vice President Advocate Syed Iqbal Tahir said that the transgender community for a long time has been treated badly and has been subjected to “ridicule” and “discrimination”, which is the moral failure of society.“While J&K Government took notice of the community’s plight in 2017 and laid an annual budget which included welfare measures for transgender people and categorised them as people below the poverty line,” he said.“Besides the government promised free life and medical insurance as well as a monthly sustenance pension for those aged 60 and above. But like most other government schemes, nothing was implemented on the ground. While Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 was passed in the parliament, but its provisions have scarcely been implemented in Kashmir,” Iqbal Tahir said in his statement.Iqbal Tahir further added that in a conflict region, transgender people not only suffer from social exclusion, but the unresolved political conflict also makes their fight for better rights more difficult. However, with this decision of the Administrative Council, we hope that the transgenders will be able to benefit from ISSS.He emphasised that JKPM is committed to the welfare of all socially disadvantaged groups particularly transgenders.
