Pune, 7th February 2026: Savali Social Foundation has urged the Pune Municipal Commissioner to appoint a transgender citizen as a nominated corporator, saying the post should be used to ensure inclusive and expert participation in city governance.
The foundation said that while the provision of nominated corporators exists to bring specialists and experienced individuals into the civic body, in practice, it is often used to accommodate political workers. This defeats the purpose of expert-driven decision-making in urban development.
Foundation chairperson Amrapali Mohite said nominated corporators can be appointed from fields such as medicine, law, engineering, education, and environmental studies. She argued that social representation should also be a key consideration, especially for communities that remain excluded from the mainstream.
“Transgender citizens continue to face denial of education, employment, healthcare, and social acceptance. Their issues rarely find space in decision-making forums. A transgender representative in the civic body is necessary to raise these concerns effectively,” Mohite said.
She also pointed out that although the final authority to appoint nominated corporators rests with the Municipal Commissioner, political parties only recommend names. “Anyone can apply for this post. Initially, my application was not accepted by the municipal secretariat, but it was taken only after insistence,” she said.
Mohite added that representations have been submitted not only to the Municipal Commissioner but also to Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, seeking support for the demand.
The foundation maintains that appointing a transgender nominated corporator would be a meaningful step toward inclusive governance and social justice in Pune’s civic administration.