Maharashtra CM to attend state’s first transgender conclave

The conclave will be attended by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and is being held in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme

The Maharashtra government will soon host the state’s first conclave for transgenders.

Scheduled to be held on October 3, the conclave will be attended by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and is being held in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

It is expected that Chavan will announce the formation of a welfare board for the community at the gathering. The board will deal with health programmes, setting up of counselling centres and a grievance-redressal cell and other issues of the community.

“We have been working towards the inclusion of the transgender community in all our schemes and policies. This conclave is only a step in that direction,” said Varsha Gaikwad, minister for woman and child development in the state.

Laxmi Tripathi, a transgender activist, called the conclave ‘a historical event’ since it was the first time the CM would address the community.

“We will present a memorandum to the gover nment requesting access to education, health facilities, employment, shelter, inclusion in government schemes and need for non-discriminatory laws,” said Tripathi.