The Bindu Queer Rights Foundation (BQRF), along with the Pune district collector’s office, is planning to organise a special camp in Pune to help transgenders get their Aadhaar card. BQRF director Bindumadhav Khire said the need for such a camp was felt as many transgenders in the district did not have an Aadhaar card and this document was needed to get a transgender identity card. The issue was raised at the recently held district grievance council meeting and it was decided that a special camp would be held soon to issue Aadhaar cards. “We have decided to canvass among the transgender community to reach out to maximum number of people who do not have Aadhaar. We are individually reaching out to people in rural areas of the district and asking them to amplify the message,” said Khire. Messages are also being sent to leaders of transgender groups via WhatsApp. The camp is for individuals who reside in Pune district, he added. To get an Aadhaar, those who do not have the necessary documents would require a letter of introduction from an MLA or senior officers. This will be taken care of in the camp, Khire said. Pune district, he said, has taken the lead in Maharashtra in issuing transgender identity cards and around 125 such cards have been issued so far.
