Survey for transgender in full swing: Minister Dingo
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 06 2024: Social Welfare minister H Dingo has informed the state assembly that the number of transgender in the state is yet to be ascertained but an expert committee constituted under the State Transgender Welfare Board is currently carrying out a survey and the data collected from the survey will determine their number and accordingly enact policies and scheme for the community.

Opposition MLA Surjakumar Okram raised a question regarding the State Transgender Welfare Board during Question Hour of the ongoing session of Manipur Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

In his reply, minister Dingo informed that the transgender population assessment is a part of census, which falls under Union list, but the Central government is yet to conduct population enumeration for transgender.

While mentioning about welfare activities taken up by the Board constituted under Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, he said that a board's meeting held on July 7, 2023 recommended various welfare activities for transgender community, apart from conduct of survey and data as well as setting up model rape and crisis intervention centre in schools.

The minister further informed that a basic survey for transgender had started from July 15 this year as per the recommendation of and conduct of proper training of supervisors appointed by the committee.

The survey will be continued till August 20 and the data collected accordingly will be utilised for framing policies and schemes for transgender community.

According to minister Dingo, the health department has formed District Level Medical Boards in seven district hospitals to facilitate provisions for assistance in consultation, counselling, sex re-assignment and sex change operation.

Apart from this, Transgender Protection Cell has been opened by the home department at state and district level with DGP and DCs concerned as the heads.

Regarding a question raised by Opposition MLA K Meghachandra on cold chain facility in Ukhrul during the Question Hour, chief minister N Biren Singh informed the House that lack of fund led to the delay in completion of the Ukhrul facility.

The project comprising eight components was sanctioned in the year 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore.

Even though Rs 1.20 crore had been released for the project, work remained halted for a long time after the stage of land development and compound fencing.

Following the approval of a mega food park by Centre in 2020, an additional fund of Rs 2.5 crore was made for the project with most of the works completed.

On Opposition MLA K Meghachandra's posers regarding pending Utilization Certificate of TA & Hills department, N Biren, citing information shared by Principal Accountant General, informed that 3924 Utilization Certificates for Rs 1961 crore remain pending till May 11, 2022 but the pending UCs have been reduced to 358 as of August 5, 2024 .

To MLA K Ranjit's query on pending results for recruitment exam of group C and D posts in MSPDCL and MSPCL, power minister Th Biswajit explained that the recruitment exam was conducted in 2020 but declaration of results initially delayed due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing ethnic violence and later by court cases.

He assured the House that results of the exam would be declared within this year.

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