With assembly polls in sight, it's appeasement time! On Thursday, state cabinet decided to set up a welfare board for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community. The state-level board will have divisional boards in all six revenue headquarters. Members of the community would be provided heath and education benefits and voting, Aadhar cards.

Varsha Gaikwad, minister for women and child development, told dna the govt had decided to bring LGBT community to the mainstream. "We will conduct a survey to ascertain their population. We want to provide them job-oriented programmes," said Gaikwad after the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

The community does not have any substantial source of income, forcing them into flesh-trade and begging. "LGBT welfare board, meant to protect the community's rights, would be allocated funds. We will also conduct review meetings to check progress made by the community," said Gaikwad.

Meanwhile, representatives of transgenders met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and expressed gratitude to him for having set up the board.

Ujwal Uke, principal secretary, women and child development, said: "The community had demanded setting up a welfare board with members of the community represented in it. Few among them now lead a dignified life."

Transgenders have already been included in the state women's policy, 2013.

Though there has been no census, based on Maharashtra AIDS Control Society records, activists estimate the community to be 10,000-strong. As per Aadhar data, around 4,000 have registered in 'others' category. The state also has 1,071 voters registered under 'others' gender.

"This is a historic day," said transgender activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi, adding that Maharashtra was the first state to constitute such a board.

A source said govts had over a period of time set up umpteen number of welfare boards for various communities, but today none was working properly due to lack of funds. This too could be a political gimmick, he added.