The Assam government has announced the establishment of a shelter home in Guwahati for the transgender community.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the initiative underlines the government’s efforts to foster inclusivity and address the challenges faced by the transgender community.
The shelter aims to provide a safe, secure, and supportive environment for transgender individuals, ensuring they have a place to stay and access to essential resources.
“Our government is ringing in a new era of inclusivity,” the Chief Minister said on social media platforms.
The All Assam Transgenders’ Association welcomed the initiative and said it conveyed the gradual acceptance of the community. The association said the State has more than 20,000 transgender people, almost double the population of 11,599 recorded in the 2011 Census.
The transgender shelter home is among a few projects of the State’s Social Justice and Empowerment Department entailing an estimated expenditure of ₹417 crore.
According to the National Portal for Transgender Persons, run by the Centre’s Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Assam has one of 18 Garima Grehs (shelter homes) across the country. Maharashtra has three of them and West Bengal two.
The objective of these Garima Grehs is to provide shelter with basic amenities, including food, medical care, and recreational facilities, for transgender individuals in need.
The Centre initiated 12 pilot Garima Grehs in 2021 under the SMILE or Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise scheme.
