The Kerala High Court has directed the Directorate of Social Justice in the state to release Rs 21,000 in pending financial assistance for post-operative treatment to a transgender man who had undergone sex reassignment surgery. The petitioner had received Rs 15,000 out of the Rs 36,000 he had sought under the government assistance scheme.Justice P V Kunhikrishnan was hearing a petition filed by the transgender man challenging the authorities’ failure to release the remaining assistance. The court disposed of the petition after the state government said steps were being taken to process the payment and that the authorities were awaiting the necessary sanction.“There can be a direction to the 2nd respondent (director, Directorate of Social Welfare) to disburse the eligible amount to the petitioner within a time frame. Therefore, this Writ Petition is disposed of, directing the 2nd respondent to disburse the eligible amount of Rs 21,000, as expeditiously as possible, at any rate, within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this judgment,” the court said on October 8.The petition concerned financial assistance for post-operative treatment and aftercare following sex reassignment surgery. The petitioner sought the outstanding amount under applicable Kerala government orders and asked the court to direct the authorities to release the money, along with interest at 18 per cent per annum.Payment awaiting sanction: GovernmentAccording to the petition, he had already received Rs 15,000, leaving a balance of Rs 21,000 from the total Rs 36,000 he claimed under the assistance scheme. He approached the high court seeking a direction to the state government to release the unpaid amount and sought interest on the claimed assistance. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan passed the order on October 8.“Petitioner is a transgender person. This writ petition is filed, aggrieved by the respondents’ refusal to disburse financial aid stipulated…towards the post-operative treatment after undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery (‘SRS’),” the order said. The respondents were the Department of Social Justice, director of the Directorate of Social Justice, Kerala State Transgender Board, and the Transgender Cell under the directorate.Also Read | Have notified SOP for pregnant minor rape survivors: State to Karnataka High CourtDuring the hearing, the government pleader told the court that steps were being taken to process the payment. The state’s position, as recorded in the judgment, was that the authorities were awaiting sanction from the concerned authority. The order does not provide further details about the administrative process or when the sanction was expected.Story continues below this adPlea submitted in 2025The petitioner had submitted an application for the aid through the state government’s website on September 1, 2025, and a representation was also made before the authorities on September 11 this year. The judgment does not specify why the balance remained unpaid or how the department handled the application.Even as the judgment directs the release of the eligible balance of Rs 21,000, it does not expressly grant the interest claim. The order is also confined to the petitioner’s claim and does not introduce a new policy for financial assistance to transgender persons or prescribe a general deadline for processing similar applications across Kerala.Also Read | Abhijeet Dipke, team detained in flight: What the law says about police entering aircraftThe documents listed with the judgment included medical certificates concerning the petitioner’s surgery, his transgender identity card, and government orders relating to financial assistance, dated November 14, 2018, and August 22, 2023.