Bill on transgender rights to be introduced next week

Government is likely to introduce two bills in Parliament next week, one relating to protection of transgenders and the other for amending the Benami Act.

"As gender equality is must, similarly there should be transgender equality also. Therefore, the government is planning to introduce the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill next week," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

He said besides this, the government is also mulling introducing benami transactions amendment bill in Parliament. Both, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill and amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, were approved by the Union Cabinet yesterday.

The purpose of transgender rights bill is to evolve a mechanism for empowerment of the community as they don't fit into the genders of either men or women. The bill aims at social, economic and educational empowerment of the transgender persons and will



benefit in mitigating the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalised section and integrate them into the mainstream.

The bill is a private member's bill and was moved by Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva. This was for the first time in 45 years that a private member's bill was passed by the Upper House.

Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 aims to strengthen the bill in terms of legal and administrative procedures so as to overcome the practical difficulties which may arise in the implementation of its provisions when it becomes an Act.

The legislation is intended to effectively prohibit benami transactions and consequently prevent circumvention of law through unfair practices.

The bill empowers the government to confiscate benami property by following due procedure. However, those who declare their benami properties under income declaration scheme will get immunity under the Benami Act.