Special camp helps tribal villagers get Aadhaar cards, rights to enter forests

Madurai: At a special camp organized on Friday by the Madurai district administration under the instructions of district collector S Aneesh Sekhar at Doddappa Nayakkanur in Usilampatti, arrangements were made for 22 tribal children to get an Aadhaar card. Steps have also been taken for the tribal villagers to apply for documents necessary to enter forests for rights to forest resources under the Forest Rights Act 2006 and the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill 2012.

The special camp was held to fulfill basic necessities of tribal communities at Doddappa Nayakkanur and Mokkathanparai in Sedapatti. Madurai District Welfare Committee member S Malaichamy and District Child Welfare Committee member B Pandiaraja were among the district officials present. The tribal villagers’ details and identification documents were collected. Malaichamy, who supervised the work, also ensured that the tribal villagers get the permission by submitting the documents at the gram sabha meetings held on Saturday.

Other services including applying for correction in government documents were also made accessible to them with the aid of computers at the camp. Photos were taken for 22 tribal children to help them get their Aadhaar card, while corrections were done for the Aadhaar card for 10 people. “Details were collected from 12 families, which did not have a Family Ration Card to help them get it and corrections were made for 30 Family Ration Card holders. We made arrangements to ensure birth certificates for five children as well. We also made efforts to talk to the tribal people and motivate them to get Covid-19 vaccination. Only by engaging directly with the tribal people, we can understand their needs better and serve them,” said Pandiaraja.