Odisha Establishes Transgender Welfare Board: A Milestone for the Community

New Board for Transgender Welfare in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The government of Odisha has announced the formation of the State Transgender Welfare Board, aimed at enhancing the welfare and rehabilitation of transgender individuals, as per a recent notification.

Officials estimate that approximately 30,000 transgender individuals reside in the state.

This board has been established in line with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, according to a notification released by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on Thursday.

Led by Social Security Minister Nityananda Gond, the board will consist of 12 members tasked with overseeing the execution of various schemes designed for the transgender community.

Among its members, two will be representatives from the transgender community, alongside officials from various departments including Health, Panchayati Raj, Housing & Urban Development, Skill Development, Higher Education, and School & Mass Education.

The board's responsibilities will encompass education, employment, housing, and health initiatives for transgender individuals, as well as the enforcement of the transgender policy and other welfare programs, as stated in the notification.

With this initiative, Odisha becomes the 20th state in India to establish a transgender welfare board.

Pratap Sahoo, president of the All Odisha Kinner & TG Association, expressed his support for this decision, highlighting that it has been a long-awaited demand of the community.