Lucknow, Jul 20 (IANS): In a laudable gesture, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to allow transgenders to avail the facility of old age homes run by the government.

The facility of Garima Bhawan will provide relief for old and ailing transgenders who have no family to fall back on.

The state government has already set up the 'Kinnar Kalyan Board' for the welfare of the community.

UP minister for social welfare , Aseem Arun, said that the government was also working to make the community join the mainstream.

"We are also working for the mainstreaming of the community so that their members may also become doctors, engineers and the like," the minister said.

He said that soon a contact centre at the Lucknow directorate would be set up to act as an interface among the beneficiaries of the various schemes run by the department and the government.

"People can contact us through the contact centre via phone or email and all necessary information or assistance will be provided to them," the minister said.

He said an IT cell too had been set up to develop a user-friendly virtual interface between beneficiaries and the government and added that the 'Abhyuday coaching scheme' for poor and rural students would be run in all district headquarters.