The Kerala High Court has instructed the state’s Directorate of Social Justice to release Rs 21,000 in outstanding financial assistance to a transgender man for post-operative treatment following sex reassignment surgery.
Disposing of a writ petition on October 8, Justice P V Kunhikrishnan ordered the director of the directorate to disburse the eligible balance as expeditiously as possible, setting a strict deadline of two months from the date a certified copy of the verdict is received.
The petitioner approached the court after receiving only Rs 15,000 out of a total claim of Rs 36,000 submitted under a Kerala government welfare scheme designed to support aftercare and post-surgical recovery. He sought judicial intervention to secure the remaining Rs 21,000, alongside an 18 per cent annual interest charge on the unpaid sum.
State Cites Pending Sanction
During court proceedings, the state government pleader submitted that administrative steps were underway to process the payout and that relevant authorities were awaiting formal sanction. The court recorded this position and disposed of the petition by directing the department to clear the balance within the two-month window.
The ruling, however, did not grant the petitioner’s request for interest on the delayed funds. The judgment also remained specific to the individual grievance, stopping short of establishing broader policy mandates or enforcing statewide processing timelines for comparable welfare requests.
Records and Application Timeline
Case records indicate that the applicant submitted an initial online claim through the state government portal on September 1, 2025, followed by a formal representation to authorities on September 11. The underlying judgment did not state why the administrative machinery delayed the remaining payment.
Respondents named in the proceedings included the Department of Social Justice, the director of the Directorate of Social Justice, the Kerala State Transgender Board, and the directorate’s Transgender Cell. Documentation reviewed alongside the petition comprised the applicant’s official transgender identity card, surgical medical certificates, and state government orders governing gender-affirmation medical assistance dated November 14, 2018, and August 22, 2023.
