Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 3: High Court today sought status report from the Election Commission of India with regard to steps taken to recognize the transgenders in the records to enable them to exercise their right to vote.
The direction has been passed by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar after the counsel appearing for the ECI informed the court that the steps on the issue have been taken by the ECI.
He submitted before the court that he has received the status report in this regard from the ECI and sought some time to place the same before the court. “Let the same be brought on the record within three days from today”, DB directed.
State counsel meantime was required to comply with the pronouncement of Supreme Court ruling as well as the directions passed by the court from time to time, has submitted that he has not received reports from all the Government departments who were required to comply with the directions of the court.
DB said, the directions passed by the Supreme Court almost five years ago and those directions are yet to be complied with by the State Government. Court in these circumstances granted one more opportunity to all concerned departments of the State to file their compliance within four weeks.
Court also observed that no status report has been submitted for issuance of Aadhar Cards by the Unique Identification Authority of India till date to the transgenders. Counsel appearing for UIAI has sought one last opportunity to obtain instructions from the department.
Court in this view granted time to departments of the State Government as well as UIAI one more opportunity to file their status reports with regard to issuance of Aadhar Cards and other issues within four weeks.
Court has made it clear that if the reports are not filed within stipulated period than same shall not be taken on record subject to payments of penalty quantified as Rs 10000 for per status report.
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