Extending social security cover to transgender community, the Odisha cabinet on Monday accorded seal of approval to a proposal of amendment to Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992, making single dependent transgender person eligible to avail family pension in case of death of her parents in government service.
The word ‘transgender’ has not been included in the definition of ‘child’ in the present OCS (Pension) Rules, 1992 and there is no provision in the rules for payment of family pension to such child in the event of death of a government servant or pensioner, according to a statement issued by the government.
A proposal to amend the relevant rules of the OCS (Pension) Rules, 1992 by incorporating provisions so that the a transgender child, if lives single, of a government servant or pensioner who died on or after January 10, 2020 would 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 was approved in the State cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The child (transgender) should be 25 years in age and must be wholly dependent on the government servant or pensioner for consideration of grant of family pension, the statement said.
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“Transgender is a person whose gender identity differs from the sex of the person at birth. In comparison with people leading normal life the transgender persons appear as a deprived class. In this emerging Indian Society they should not be construed as a deprived section at all,” the statement on Cabinet decision stated.
The proposal to enhance the monthly income limit from Rs. 4440 to Rs. 10,000 only from all other sources to be eligible for family pension in the case of unmarried or widowed or divorced daughters of a deceased government servant or pensioner where the claimant daughter is beyond 25 years in age was also approved by the State cabinet.
