Bhubaneswar: The state govt issued a fresh notification on Thursday, changing the chairperson of the State Transgender Welfare Board from chief secretary to the minister of the department of social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities.The department on April 21 issued a notification constituting the board with chief secretary as the head, followed by principal secretary of the department; however, two days later on April 23, the notification was revised and the departmental minister was made head of the board.As per the fresh notification, director of the department will act as member secretary, while director general of police, additional secretary of the department and representatives of other departments have been appointed members of the board.Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra and Soummya Das, representatives of the transgender persons community, and district collectors of Balangir, Angul and Khurda have also been appointed members of the welfare board, as per the notification.The department says that for rehabilitation and welfare of transgender persons in the state and to protect their best interest as per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the State Transgender Welfare Board will act as nodal agency.
