Hyderabad : In a move aimed at strengthening the representation of transgender persons in local governance, the state assembly on Friday passed the Telangana Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, providing for the nomination of a transgender person as a co-opted member in municipalities and municipal corporations.
The amendment increases representation among co-opted members in urban local bodies, providing for six co-opted members in total. Of these, three will represent minorities, two will be experts in municipal administration and one will be a transgender person.
During the discussion, Congress MLA Vedma Bojju suggested that co-opted member positions should also reflect caste-wise representation so that various social groups receive adequate representation in municipal bodies.
Introducing the Bill in the House, legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu said the measure would ensure a formal voice for the transgender community in municipal governance. He noted that Telangana was the first state in the country to allow transgender persons to work in the traffic control department and said the government was implementing several welfare initiatives for the community. CPI MLA K Sambasiva Rao said the govt should undertake a comprehensive survey of the transgender community, covering population, habitation patterns and socio-economic conditions. He said such data would help in designing targeted welfare measures. Supporting the Bill, BJP MLA Palvai Harish Babu said it was time the transgender community received its rightful place in govt policymaking. Referring to Tamil Nadu’s transgender welfare initiatives, Harish Babu said measures such as house site pattas, business subsidies and pensions could help improve livelihoods and reduce dependence on begging.
He stressed that representation should be complemented by welfare measures in education, employment, healthcare, and housing. He also called for better functioning of transgender clinics and more effective implementation of welfare schemes.