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The Manipur High Court has directed the State authorities to file an additional affidavit, giving full details of all the applications received from transgenders in Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching and Thoubal Districts of the State for claiming benefits under the Chief Minister’s Covid-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme.

The bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh passed the order in a batch of three petitions pertaining to the issue of distribution of food grains, rice, etc. under Central and State governments' schemes.

The Additional Advocate General, Manipur, appearing for the State authorities had sought time to file the said affidavit in the petition filed by Thangjam Santa Singh @Santa Khurai, secretary of All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association (AMNMA), which is an association of the transgender community in the State. 

Posting the matter on May 5, 2022 for further hearing, Court noted that such details are required in the light of the averment made by the petitioner in the said PIL that applications submitted by transgenders in these districts were not even received by the authorities and no reasons were given as to why they were not being received.

The subject scheme in Khurai's plea, which is run under the state’s social welfare department, was launched by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on August 22, 2021. Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries can seek financial assistance as well as other benefits. 

Initially, the eligible beneficiary included street vendors, farmers, daily wage workers, construction site workers, public transport drivers, school van drivers, shop assistants, artisans, weavers, performing artists and home-based businessmen, among others. 

Soon after the scheme was launched, Khurai filed a Public Interest Litigation petition seeking inclusion of transgenders as beneficiaries of the scheme. 

On Khurai's plea, the high court had directed the state government on September 21 to modify the notification pertaining to the scheme to include members of the transgender community within its ambit and in December last year, Court directed the state government to ensure that it is made known to the general public that the Scheme stands extended to cover those households too wherein either a member or the main bread-earner is a transgender.

Case Title: The Human Rights Alert & Anr. v. State of Manipur & Anr.