Despite being given free Patta lands, transgender women of Coimbatore are reportedly not able to construct houses due to intense pressure from the local residents, and indifference on the part of the officials.

In a petition to the District Collector T.N. Hariharan, the transwomen also stated that the society was not allowing them to mingle with the men and women in the locality. According to S. Poonguzhali, secretary of the Coimbatore Mavatta Thirunangaigal Nala Sangam, the district administration had given lands for 29 beneficiaries in Chinnavedapatti, 16 in Perur, 20 in Malumichampatti, and 27 in Pollachi.

“The pattas were issued in March by the previous collector, Archana Patnaik, after a 14-year-long struggle,” she said.

But, Poonguzhali alleged that revenue officials had not measured the land, so that they could be utilised. Attempts to measure the land on Friday were stopped by the locals of Chinnavedapatti, who claimed that setting up a colony for transwomen in the area would lead to crimes and immoral activities.

The locals also added that the district administration had failed to follow the norms before allocating the lands. The claims were denied by the officials, but police decided to postpone work to a later date. They wanted to first resolve the conflict with the locals and the officials through talks.

The process could very well deny the benefit for the transwomen as the Government had given them only six months’ time to shift to the allocated land.

“With local pressure and slow process, we may not get the land, which was gifted to us,” said another transwoman.