Bhubaneswar: Odisha has emerged as one of the better-performing states in the Centre’s rehabilitation programme for transgender persons, with 81 beneficiaries rehabilitated through Garima Grehs, even as its rehabilitation of people engaged in begging remains relatively modest compared with several other states.According to a Lok Sabha reply by Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment, B L Verma, as many as 1,041 transgender persons have been rehabilitated through Garima Grehs across 17 states/UTs under the Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons component of the Centre’s Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme over the last three years. Odisha’s 81 beneficiaries account for nearly 8% of the national total.Garima Greh provides shelter to transgender persons with amenities like food, medical care, yoga, meditation and recreational facilities. Besides, it provides support for the capacity-building/skill development and counselling to transgender persons.At the state level, Odisha has the fourth-highest number of transgender persons rehabilitated under the programme. Maharashtra tops the list with 211 beneficiaries, followed by Chhattisgarh with 100 and West Bengal with 82. The Centre has established 23 Garima Grehs in 17 states/UTs, including one in Odisha, to provide shelter and rehabilitation support to transgender persons.The parliamentary reply also said Transgender Welfare Boards and Transgender Protection Cells have been established in Odisha, placing the state among those with institutional mechanisms for extending welfare support and protecting the rights of transgender persons.The picture, however, is different when it comes to rehabilitation of people engaged in begging. Since the beggary component of the SMILE scheme was launched on Oct 23, 2023, 10,446 persons have been rescued and rehabilitated across the country. In Odisha, Puri recorded the highest number of rehabilitated persons at 111, followed by Bhubaneswar with 103 and Cuttack with 74.The Centre has also released funds for implementing the rehabilitation programme at six locations in Odisha. Cuttack received Rs 36.75 lakh, while Puri and Bhubaneswar received Rs 33.35 lakh each. Berhampur, Koraput and Angul were allocated Rs 14.61 lakh each, taking the total to around Rs 1.47 crore.The scheme seeks to address begging through a rehabilitation-oriented approach rather than merely removing people from public spaces, with a focus on skill development, livelihood support and social reintegration.For transgender rehabilitation, Odisha received Rs 31.41 lakh in 2025-26, compared with Rs 26.59 lakh in 2024-25.Officials in the state govt said that under the SMILE sub-scheme for people engaged in begging, while drives are on to identify more persons, existing beneficiaries are being provided skill development and livelihood opportunities through a convergence approach with various central and state govt programmes.Eligible beneficiaries have been provided skill training based on local demand and aptitude in trades such as carpentry, tailoring, cooking, gardening, security services, sanitation work and e-rickshaw driving, besides other vocational activities, the officials said.According to state-level data, 784 persons engaged in begging have been identified since Octo 2023, of whom, 288 have been rescued and rehabilitated. Of these, 78 have been provided wage-based employment opportunities, while self-employment support has been extended to another 100, officials said.
