Minister for Panchayat Raj and Women & Child Welfare, Danasari Anasuya with Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand with the transgender individuals appointed as Traffic Assistants in the city’s Traffic Department.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
The Telangana government has decided to allot houses under the Indiramma Housing Scheme to transgender individuals serving as traffic assistants in Hyderabad, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Women & Child Welfare, Danasari Anasuya said during a review meeting held at the Secretariat on Monday (May 26).
Minister Danasari Anasuya, popularly known as Seethakka, said the appointment of 44 transgender individuals in December 2024 was a historic step not just for Telangana, but for India as a whole. “This programme has delivered exactly what it promised, dignity, opportunity, and inclusion,” said the Minister, addressing senior officials, NGO representatives, and the traffic assistants themselves.
Of the 44 appointed, 38 are currently working with the Hyderabad Police Traffic Department. The Minister announced that transgender individuals will now be allotted houses under the Indiramma Housing Scheme under the disability quota and that more positions in other departments would be explored. “The aim is clear, equality in opportunity and a society that welcomes everyone,” she said.
She also mentioned the establishment of Maitri Clinics in districts and assured that efforts would be made to create more opportunities for them in other government departments. The minister reiterated that the primary objective of this program is to provide equal opportunities and integrate the transgender community into the mainstream of society.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand said that the entire recruitment process was completed in just ten days under instructions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. “Not a single complaint has been registered against any of the traffic assistants. They have set a benchmark in commitment and conduct,” he said, adding that the department would assist those interested in private security roles too.
Anitha Ramachandran, Secretary, Women and Child Welfare, said that the initiative had drawn national attention. “States are now calling us for guidance. Telangana has taken a bold, inclusive step that has struck a chord across India,” she remarked. Traffic officials reported that the Assistants had integrated well into daily operations, including handling bandobast duties, and were working with discipline and dedication.
Representatives from the transgender community, many of whom had faced decades of exclusion and prejudice, said the initiative had transformed their lives. “For 76 years, we were invisible. Today, we wear the same uniform as home guards and stand beside police officers with pride,” one of the assistants shared. “This is the first time we feel seen, respected, and valued.” They also requested that benefits on par with home guards be extended to them and thanked the government for treating them as equals, not as some exception. One member said, “We used to fear the police. Now, we are the police’s colleagues.”
The Telangana government is expected to expand this initiative further, based on the feedback received in this review. For now, the State stands as the first in the country to formally integrate transgender persons into government service.
Published – May 26, 2025 07:50 pm IST
