Angul: Taking a cue from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Angul Municipality has come forward to get the transgender community involved in mainstream society.
BMC has roped in an NGO of transgenders to collect parking fees in Bhubaneswar. Angul municipality is going to engage transgenders to collect garbage.
Angul municipality sources said that in the first phase, four battery-operated vehicles have been procured for the initiative. In the coming days, four more such vehicles will be added up to the fleet.
These vehicles visit door to door to collect wastages. The town dwellers will have to dump dry and wet wastages separately in the containers attached to the vehicles.
Each of these vehicles will have a driver and a helper. While these vehicles will have GPS system, the drivers and helpers will be provided with a route chart. There will be a cell at the municipal office to monitor and manage this project.
The initiative is a part of the civic body’s city beautification drive.
The proposed e-toilet at Medical Square will also be managed by the transgender community. The transgenders have submitted a proposal for opening a shop near the e-toilet in the municipality.
The municipality also has a plan to start fish farming at ponds on the premises of Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) located at Panchmahala. Here too the transgenders are to be engaged.
For this, an SHG by the name of Saptarang Self Help Group involving 10 transgenders has already been formed. Their passbooks have also been opened in the bank. Those who will drive the above mentioned battery-operated vehicles are presently undergoing training.
Town dwellers have welcomed the municipality for their steps to empower transgenders. “It is undoubtedly a good step on the part of Angul municipality. This will not only help transgenders improve their financial condition but also give the town a clean look. But things are to be carried out properly,” observed Ranjan Barik, a town dweller.
While heaping praise on the municipality, Bhanupriya Samal, supervisor, Saptarang SHG, said, “The initiative will make a huge difference. This will help end the discrimination against the transgender community. They will work with dignity and they will no longer have to get earfuls from people.”
Echoing the same, Suhani Dehury, president, Saptarang SHG added, “The members have been in joy since day one of their training session. They are receiving driving, e-toilet management and fish farming training.”
When contacted, Girija Shankar Mallick, executive officer, Angul municipality, said, “Efforts have already started to lift wastages from the town using battery-operated vehicles. The job will be done by transgenders. Now we have four vehicles and four more are to be added soon. This will help keep the town atmosphere neat and clean.”
PNN