The Odisha state government issued a fresh notification on Thursday, revising the chairperson of the State Transgender Welfare Board from the chief secretary to the minister of the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
Background of the Notification
The department had initially issued a notification on April 21, constituting the board with the chief secretary as its head, followed by the principal secretary of the department. However, just two days later, on April 23, the notification was revised, and the departmental minister was appointed as the head of the board.
Composition of the Board
As per the fresh notification, the director of the department will serve as the member secretary. The director general of police, additional secretary of the department, and representatives from other departments have been appointed as members of the board.
Additionally, Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra and Soummya Das, representatives of the transgender persons community, along with the district collectors of Balangir, Angul, and Khurda, have also been appointed as members of the welfare board, according to the notification.
Role and Objective
The department stated that for the rehabilitation and welfare of transgender persons in the state and to protect their best interests as per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the State Transgender Welfare Board will act as the nodal agency.
