Bhubaneswar: Extending social security to the transgenders amid the crisis situation arisen due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Odisha Government has decided to include the third-gender people under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal in this regard.
The transgenders can now join the social security scheme by applying at the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana website. The application process has begun today, informed the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister Ashok Chandra Panda.
They will get the monthly pension of Rs 500 to Rs 900 depending upon the age.
The move is expected to benefit more than 6,000 transgender people in the State, sources said.
Besides, the Odisha Government has also announced to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 each to 48 lakh beneficiaries under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana for the next four months in addition to their pension.