PATNA: For the first time in state, transgenders have been roped into the judicial system by making them para-legal volunteers by the district legal services authority (DLSA) of Aurangabad district for creating legal awareness amid common mass especially villagers in remote areas.
Altogether nine transgenders have been inducted on ad-hoc at present by the Aurangabad DLSA who started working for spreading legal awareness in various areas of the district from Saturday.
Earlier, West Bengal and Jharkhand judiciary had taken such a step but this is first time in Bihar, as per Aurangabad DLSA.
Recently, Bihar became one of the few states in country by taking revolutionary step of inducting transgenders in its police force.
The transgenders were inducted in a special programme organised for them in Aurangabad on Friday in which district judge Manoj Kumar Tiwari and other judicial officers were present to honour these new volunteers.
When asked, Aurangabad DLSA secretary Pranaw Shankar, who is additional district judge rank judicial officer, told TOI over phone on Saturday that the transgenders were imparted a one-hour training on Friday to make them aware about the what are the works of DLSA and National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and how they help needy people.
"The reason to induct them is that they keep moving continuously and have reach upto remote areas. Once they continue to work dedicatedly then they will be permanently inducted in Aurangabad DLSA by March next year," he said.
Shankar said that the transgenders have immense knowledge about large number of people who are in desperate need of several kind of assistance but are helpless.
The judicial officers were surprised as well as happy when the transgenders apprised them about several needy persons immediately after they were made aware about that how DLSA volunteers and panel lawyers work for extending help to old age or physically challenged persons in getting benefits of government scheme like pension, tri-cycle and other legal aid without getting charged any fees.
At present, the transgenders have been asked to increase awareness amid villagers about getting birth and deaths registered. The idea was given by the Aurangabad district judge.
They have also been handed over pamphlets and other materials printed with information for distribution in villages to create awareness.
The Aurangabad DLSA, which has around 50 panel lawyers and around 100 para-legal volunteers, has plans to increase the count of transgenders working for them if this present induction step of nine transgenders remains successful.
