The Odisha Government has decided to provide financial assistance to transgender students for pursuing their higher education and for other economic activities. This is to alleviate the hardships of the community, in moving to places for education, training and employment as they also do not have access to existing boys and girls hostels. They are also not preferred as tenants by house owners, as stated by The New Indian Express.
The terms of the grant
The Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department will provide assistance with hostel facilities for transgender students under the Sweekruti scheme. This includes a one-time non-recurring grant of Rs 15,000 per inmate for the purchase of furniture and furnishings.
The transgender students who are pursuing education and staying in hostels will also be granted a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000 for meeting their expenses or the period of their education, subject to submission of recommendation of the educational institutions concerned.
People from the community who are interested and have also registered for individual entrepreneurship for generating self-employment-based income including production, marketing and service centres, will be promoted by the government.
The government has declared that projects not exceeding a one-time investment of Rs 10 lakh will be considered on a priority basis. They will also encourage group endeavours for generating self-employment based individual income. For group endeavours, projects not exceeding one-time investment of Rs 20 lakh will be considered and the ventures must ensure the objective of providing individual income to the members of the group.
The self-help groups (SHGs) formed by them will be given one-time assistance of Rs 1.25 lakh for initial activities support and start-up capital. They will have to contact their respective district social security officer for financial assistance.
SSEPD Minister Ashok Chandra Panda said the state government recognises transgenders as valuable human resources for society and seeks to create an environment that provides them equal opportunities, protection of their rights and meaningful participation in society.
He added that the Sweekruti Scheme has been revised with provisions of financial assistance to benefit the community and re-integrate them into society.
