Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 18: High Court today directed the Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Department to hold the meeting with regard to finalization of policy regarding trans-genders and comply with the Supreme Court directions and report the court on next date.
The Division Bench directed the Commissioner Secretary SWD to hold the meeting for finalization of policy for providing constitutional rights to the trans-genders on February 20 allowing the petitioners also to attend the meeting.
Petitioners have approached the Court for protection of constitutional rights of trans-genders and are praying that the State Government be directed to implement the judgment of Apex Court passed in a petition titled National Legal Services Authority Vs Union of India, in this connection in letter and spirit.
State Government was given time to place on record the finalization of policy regarding trans-genders. However, Court at the very threshold of the hearing of the case has been informed that such effort was aborted on account of inability of petitioners to travel to Jammu for the meeting on account of delayed receipt of the information and also the barriers on account of weather.
As the Secretary Social Welfare Department, has been nominated as Chairman and is presiding over the meeting court directed that the meeting shall be held on 20th February, 2019 at 12.00 noon and in case the petitioners’ or representative of the petitioners are unable to travel to Jammu, the Secretary, Social Welfare Department, shall facilitate the meeting thorough electronic mode or other modern facilities.
With regard to implementation of Supreme Court ruling the Court has been informed that the Government has not implemented the pending directions of the Supreme Court in National Legal Services Authority Vs. Union of India and others for that court sought compliance of the said ruling from the authorities of SWD.
“The respondents shall file the latest status report regarding the compliance of the directions made by the Supreme Court in the aforesaid case supra within a period of four weeks from today”, DB directed.
Follow our WhatsApp channel