Government of Odisha has issued an equal opportunity policy for transgenders. This new policy would ensure that no opportunity is denied to transgender persons merely on ground of sexual orientation. Transgender persons would not be discriminated in terms of any position, training, promotion, and transfer posting level as per the new policy. Anyone who violates the policy, or in any manner discriminates with any transgender persons, or harasses them would be dealt with as prescribed in the service rules of the government. With this there is also going to be an appointment of a complaint officer for redressal of grievances within 15 days of lodging a complaint by any transgender.
As per the Socio Economic and Caste Census (2011) in Odisha, there are 4,316 transgender households in rural areas and 463 transgender household in urban areas. Their present numbers would be much higher as transgenders now have the courage to express their identity after the Supreme Court of India granted legal recognition to a person’s self-identified gender as either male, female or the third gender.
Leading transgender activist Meera Parida has expressed happiness over the new policy and has said that the equal opportunity policy is a welcome step in mainstreaming the transgenders. She highlighted that a state-wide online Transgender Survey conducted by a government department in 2017 had revealed that transgenders have no income and were living in poverty. “We hope that Odisha Government would reserve 1% of government jobs for transgenders like Karnataka has done,” she said.
