The state government started a new department on Wednesday to effectively monitor different social security schemes meant for differently-abled persons. It would also look after implementation of schemes for senior citizens and transgenders, official sources said.
The department inaugurated on Capital Hospital premises would be shifted near Rajiv Bhawan soon. “The state government has launched several social security schemes for differently-abled people. To monitor proper implementation of these schemes, the state government has created a new department,” said secretary of the department Saswat Mishra.
Under the department, the government aims to open district disability rehabilitation centres. Facilities for conducting corrective surgery on differently-abled people will be available at these centres.
Besides, a special industrial training institute will be opened at Jatni to impart vocational training to differently-abled persons, official sources said.
According to sources, the state government is providing scholarship to 30,658 physically-challenged students in the state.
The All Odisha Hinjida Mahasangha, an outfit working to protect the rights of the transgenders, slammed the state government for neglecting their rights. “The Centre has launched a number of schemes for the transgenders. However, the state government has overlooked their rights. The transgender are yet to be covered under different pension schemes launched by the state government,” said president of the outfit Pratap Sahu.
Prasanta Patnaik