Odisha decided to include transgender people in a social protection system. (Representative)
Bhubaneswar:
The Odisha government has decided to include members of the transgender community in a social protection system that provides a monthly pension for the needy, said a minister.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved a proposal to cover community members as part of the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) which aims to provide financial assistance to the elderly, the disabled and destitute widows, a- he declared.
About 5,000 transgender people will receive a monthly pension of between 500 and 900 rupees depending on their age, said Minister of Social Security and Empowerment of People with Disabilities (SSEPD), Ashok Panda.
The government’s decision was made in light of promises made in the ruling BJD manifesto for the 2019 elections, the minister said.
Panda said transgender people will need to apply on the department’s official website to register for the MBPY. “About 5,000 transgender people will benefit from the government’s decision,” he said.
Transgender associations praised the state government for their inclusion in the social protection program.
Some other states have already established such social protection schemes for the community.
For example, J&K’s board of directors has reportedly extended the coverage of its integrated social security system to transgender people. The governments of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala had previously announced pension plans for them.
Mr. Panda said, however, that the Odisha government has also decided to grant one-off additional assistance of 1,000 rupees to each of the 48 lakh current beneficiaries of the MBPY scheme due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The minister said that the funds for this have already been allocated and that the recipients will soon receive assistance. He said recipients had already received pensions in advance for four months in the current fiscal year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
