The State government on Monday told the Madras High Court that it has decided to distribute first instalment of COVID-19 cash relief of ₹2,000 even to the transgender persons who do not possess ration cards though the relief is given only to rice ration card holders.
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy were informed by Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram that a Government Order was issued on June 3 for distributing ₹2,000 each to 8,493 transgender persons who did not possess ration cards but had registered with the welfare board for third gender.
The submission was made during the hearing of a writ petition filed by transgender rights activist Grace Banu seeking a direction to the government to pay the cash relief without insisting upon ration cards. During the last hearing of the case, the A-G had assured the court that the plea would be considered sympathetically.
