BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has launched a comprehensive welfare scheme for ensuring social inclusion, dignity and empowerment of transgender persons by addressing long-standing gaps in education, employment, healthcare, housing and legal support.
Sources said the scheme Sweekruti, being implemented by the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department, has been designed to provide a structured, rights-based framework for the welfare of the transgender community and their families.
Odisha, with a total transgender population of around 20,300 (as per the last census), is the first state to give transgender people social welfare benefits aimed at improving their overall socio-economic status. The scheme focuses on a set of key strategies that include financial assistance to parents of transgender children, pre and post-matric scholarships for transgender students, skill upgradation and entrepreneurship development training, strengthening of self-help groups, support for critical healthcare and group insurance, provision of legal aid and counselling.
According to a resolution issued by the department, a key feature of the scheme is monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to parents or guardians of transgender children to help them raise their children amid social stigma, discrimination and violence. This support will be provided until the child attains 18 years of age. In order to support education, eligible transgender students from families with an annual income not exceeding Rs 2.4 lakh will receive monthly scholarships ranging from `1,000 to `5,000, depending on the course pursued.
Many transgenders are often denied entry into boys' or girls' hostels and refused rental housing, forcing them to drop out of education or employment, particularly when they migrate to cities such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur, Balasore and Sambalpur.
Secretary of the department RS Gopalan said Sweekruti will support the setting up of dedicated hostels for transgender persons by colleges, universities, urban local bodies and organisations working with the community. Transgenders will receive a stipend of Rs 3,000 per month for the duration of their studies. "The scheme will help districts set up rehabilitation centres to provide abandoned transgender persons, aged above 18 years and below 60 years, with shelter, basic amenities and capacity-building/skill development training," he said.