Odisha Reconstitutes State Transgender Welfare Board with New Structure

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has dissolved the existing State Transgender Welfare Board and reconstituted it with a revamped structure aimed at strengthening welfare initiatives for the transgender community.

The earlier board, constituted on May 15, 2025, had a three-year tenure with the departmental minister serving as its chairman. However, within a year, the state government decided to dissolve it and form a new board with a more streamlined administrative framework.

Under the new structure, the Chief Secretary of Odisha will serve as the Chairman of the board. The Secretary of the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department has been appointed as the Vice-Chairman, while the Director of the same department will function as the Member Secretary.

The reconstituted board also includes senior officials such as the Director General of Police and the Additional Secretary of the department. Representatives from key departments—including Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Housing and Urban Development, Skill Development and Technical Education, Higher Education, and School and Mass Education—have been inducted as members to ensure inter-departmental coordination.

In a move to enhance community representation, prominent members from the transgender community have been included. These include Dipti Mohapatra, the state’s first third-gender doctorate recipient, and activist Soumya Das. Additionally, one representative each from the Transgender Suraksha Trust in Bhubaneswar and the Chetana Organization in Balugaon will be part of the board.

The District Collectors of Balangir, Angul, and Khordha will also serve as members on a rotational basis.

The reconstitution is expected to improve administrative oversight and facilitate better coordination among departments for effective implementation of welfare schemes focused on education, healthcare, skill development, and livelihood opportunities for the transgender community in Odisha.