The recent visit of Gulshan Biwi, a 65-year-old transgender, to the state government’s Duare Sarkar (government-on-doorstep) camp at Birbhum’s Rampurhat laid bare a harsh reality — that transgenders largely stay outside the loop of government’s welfare schemes.

This prompted Birbhum district authorities to pull up their socks and hand over ration and Swasthya Sathi cards to eight members of the community on Tuesday evening as part of the Duare Sarkar initiative.

“I thanked the officials for providing me my first ration card,” said transgender Laila Khatun, 35. “I had thought (before) that people like us cannot get government documents.”

Khatun was among the eight transgenders who received the cards from a team of district officials, headed by additional district magistrate (general) Sweta Agarwal, at their home in Rampurhat on Tuesday evening.

A district official said the drive to identify members of the transgender community and include them in government schemes would continue as they form a significant part of the state’s population. According to Census 2011, transgenders constitute 6.2 per cent of Bengal’s over 9.3 crore population.

Asked why transgenders do not avail of government schemes, a senior government official cited social ostracism. Many transgenders beg on streets, in trains, buses and at traffic signals but do not visit government offices or camps fearing stigma, many sources said.

Gulshan agreed: “Young people in our community avoid going to public places because people in general do not like our presence.”

Gulshan, who went to the Duare Sarkar camp last Friday, said she had to return as she did not have any identity proof to enrol under welfare projects. “I was surprised when officials arrived on my doorstep and promised to help us get the necessary papers,” said Gulshan.

Vijay Bharti, Birbhum district magistrate, said that they were carrying out a demographic survey of people attending Duare Sarkar camps. “This transgender (Gulshan) was the only one from the community to turn up, and it helped us reach out to others,” said Bharti.

A district official said the administration at all levels had been asked to find out transgenders and reach out to them as they might feel uncomfortable to queue up at the camps.

A senior government official said that the Birbhum experience had been shared across Bengal. “The initiative to reach out to transgenders will be done under Duare Sarkar across Bengal. All districts have been advised to follow the Birbhum model.”