HC asks Mahatransco to respond to trans person's plea seeking reservation in jobs

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday sought replies from the Maharashtra government and Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (Mahatransco) to a plea filed by a trans person seeking reservation in jobs in the state-run utility. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed issued notices to the state authorities and directed them to file their replies within two weeks.

The court was hearing a plea filed by a petitioner, who identifies herself as a trans person.

In the plea filed through advocate Kranti L C, the petitioner said that Mahatransco had advertised for jobs for around 170 people, and while it provided for reservations based on caste and tribe, and also for OBCs, women and persons with physical disabilities, it did not provide reservations for trans people.

Though Mahatransco allowed persons of the third gender to apply for the said vacancies, no reservation was provided for candidates belonging to the category, the petition said.

This was despite previous judgements of the Supreme Court directing that such reservation be provided, it stated. The petitioner further claimed that the lack of reservation breached her fundamental right to earn a living as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.

The bench asked the state authorities why no reservation had been provided for trans people and directed them to file their replies ”within two weeks”.