Odisha to amend family pension rule in favour of transgender child

Bhubaneswar, Feb 13 The Odisha Cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday decided to provide family pension to the transgender child in case of death of a government servant/pensioner.

The cabinet has decided to amend the relevant provision of the Odisha Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1992 in this regard.

A transgender child, if living single, of a government servant/pensioner who died on or after January 10, 2020 will be treated as an unmarried daughter in case there is no other elder unmarried daughter or disabled unmarried daughter for the benefit of family pension subject to fulfil of other conditions, said Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.

Provided that the child is above 25 years of age and must be wholly dependent on the government servant/pensioner, he said.

The state government has also enhanced the monthly income limit of the claimant of the government servant from Rs 4,440 to Rs 10,000 from all other sources to be eligible as family pension claimants.

The Cabinet has also approved extension of the Drainage Improvement Programme (DIP) for another five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) with an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore.

The outlay for the programme from 2019-20 to 2022-23 has been enhanced from the existing Rs 500 crore to Rs 800 crore.

Similarly, the Cabinet has approved the proposal for construction of 237 (100-seat) boys' hostels for Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.