Bawankule orders special camps for Aadhaar and birth certificates in tribal districts

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed that a special campaign be run in all tribal districts of the state to help tribal residents get Aadhaar cards and birth certificates. Both documents are necessary to avail of government schemes.

Bawankule also said the state's 16 tribal districts should be given separate sets of Aadhaar registration kits so that work there is not held up.

The directive came at a meeting at Mantralaya. The meeting was called to discuss pending matters concerning tribals, labourers, women, children and workers, and Bawankule chaired it.

Vasai MLA Sneha Dubey Pandit, Dahanu MLA Comrade Vinod Nikole, former MLA Vivek Pandit and Comrade J. P. Gavit were present. Sanjay Ingle, Joint Secretary in the Rehabilitation Department, and Vikas Kharge, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Revenue Department, also attended.

From the Kisan Sabha, working president Radka Kalangda, treasurer Sadashiv Sable and Palghar district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Kiran Gahala attended. District collectors of Thane, Palghar and Ahilyanagar districts, officials concerned and office-bearers of various organisations were also at the meeting.

Bawankule said tribal residents should face no difficulty in availing of government schemes for want of documents. He asked the administration to take special initiative for this.

He directed district collectors to make the process simpler, from birth registration to Aadhaar registration. Special camps should be held in a planned manner to provide these facilities to eligible citizens.

The minister did not leave it to the administration alone. He also appealed to representatives of local people and tribal organisations to take the initiative themselves. According to him, they should raise awareness among tribal residents, hold public meetings and help them complete the necessary documents.

The meeting's emphasis overall was that a lack of documents such as Aadhaar and birth certificates should not stand in the way of government schemes in tribal districts. Bawankule asked the administration, local representatives and organisations to each play their part.