Only men & women can get PAN card, transsexual told
Pankul.Sharma@timesgroup.com 16.03.2018
Bareilly: Mohini, 52, a resident of Ghari Chawki at Murabpur locality of Bareilly, has been running from pillar to post for the past one week to procure a PAN card which she requires to open a bank account. But this transgender woman is in a quandary. The PAN card application form, which can be downloaded from the income tax department’s website, does not have a ‘third gender’ option. She has no choice but to select a ‘male’ or ‘female’ option.
“When I contacted a service centre to obtain a PAN card, I was told that only male and female can apply for it. I showed them my voter ID and Aadhaar card on which my gender, ‘transgender’, is clearly imprinted but they were not satisfied with that. Then I obtained a gender certificate from the chief medical officer but all in vain. Notably, there is no option for third gender available on NSDL website for PAN card application. I am completely fed up with the system which has failed to provide us space to live with our identity,” said Mohini, while narrating her ordeal to TOI. The Finance Act 2017 had introduced section 139AA to the Income Tax Act (1961) that made linking of PAN with Aadhaar mandatory. But for many transgenders, the two cannot be linked because of the anomaly. Ironically, there is a ‘third gender’ option in the Aadhaar card application form.
Pankul.Sharma@timesgroup.com 16.03.2018
Bareilly: Mohini, 52, a resident of Ghari Chawki at Murabpur locality of Bareilly, has been running from pillar to post for the past one week to procure a PAN card which she requires to open a bank account. But this transgender woman is in a quandary. The PAN card application form, which can be downloaded from the income tax department’s website, does not have a ‘third gender’ option. She has no choice but to select a ‘male’ or ‘female’ option.
“When I contacted a service centre to obtain a PAN card, I was told that only male and female can apply for it. I showed them my voter ID and Aadhaar card on which my gender, ‘transgender’, is clearly imprinted but they were not satisfied with that. Then I obtained a gender certificate from the chief medical officer but all in vain. Notably, there is no option for third gender available on NSDL website for PAN card application. I am completely fed up with the system which has failed to provide us space to live with our identity,” said Mohini, while narrating her ordeal to TOI. The Finance Act 2017 had introduced section 139AA to the Income Tax Act (1961) that made linking of PAN with Aadhaar mandatory. But for many transgenders, the two cannot be linked because of the anomaly. Ironically, there is a ‘third gender’ option in the Aadhaar card application form.
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