VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh CID launched Swabhiman Transgender Persons Protection Helpline number 1091 in the CID office at Guntur on Wednesday.
AP CID additional DGP N. Sanjay proposed the helpline, which aimed to protect the safety and dignity of transgender persons by ending violence, preventing discrimination against them, including abuse and physical violence, protecting their rights, monitoring cases of crimes against them, and taking legal action. K.G.V. Saritha, SP, Women Protection Cell, CID, has been appointed as the nodal officer of the state-level Transgender Persons Protection Cell.
Saritha informed that this helpline would work in accordance with the Transgender Persons (Protection Rules) Act-2019 and the Transgender Persons (Protection Rules)-2020 through which they would analyse the complaints of transgender persons, counselling, taking legal action, and also undertaking sensitisation programmes. She said that transgender persons should take advantage of this opportunity as it was a toll-free number and there would be no charges.
Vasireddy Padma, chairperson of the AP State Women’s Commission, said that the government had implemented many programmes for the advancement of transgender persons. She said that it was very painful to make fun of transgender people, insult them, and use their disability as a curse to insult others in political terms. She stated that transgender people also had self-esteem, which is why the name of this helpline has been changed to ‘Swabhiman’.
