Bengal SIR: Sex Workers Fear Being Dropped From Voter List, Say 'Left Home, Not Everyone Has Their Documents'

Bengal SIR: As West Bengal races to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi are raising alarms over possible exclusion from the voter list.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal has instructed district election officials and block-level officers (BLOs) to fast-track the SIR process and ensure enumeration forms are collected within the month. According to the CEO, more than 7.55 crore forms about 98.5 per cent have already been distributed across the state.

However, amid the rapid progress, Sonagachi’s sex workers fear their names may be left out due to lack of proper documentation. Many say they no longer have ties with their families or original homes, making address verification difficult.

The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), an organisation representing sex workers, has submitted a written appeal to the CEO, demanding special verification camps inside Sonagachi and on-site registration drives. They have proposed allowing sex workers to self-declare residence, backed by NGO or peer verification.

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Bishakha Laskar, Secretary of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Samiti, Sonagachi, has urged authorities to ensure that sex workers are not disenfranchised during the revision.

"Sex workers are facing problems with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) because not everyone has their documents. This is because many have left their homes and have no connection with their families... Our demand is that it would be good if the names of sex workers are included (in the voter list) based on the documents they have..." she said.

She also pointed out that the community only began voting after receiving voter ID cards in 2002.

"Sex workers received the official voter ID cards in 2002... Prior to that, they had no voter ID cards... We began exercising our voting rights after 2002... Naturally, our name won't be present in the 2002 voter list..." she said.

According to Laskar, many sex workers now possess documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, ration cards and electricity bills that should be considered valid for enrolment.

"Now some people have documents like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Ration Card, Passport, electricity bill, etc... We urge the government to add their names in the SIR on the basis of these documents, it will benefit the community..." she stated.

The DMSC has submitted an application covering approximately 12,000 sex workers in Sonagachi, including around 8,000 residents and another 4,000 who move in and out for work.

The Election Commission has said special measures are being taken to ensure all eligible citizens are included in the revision. On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that over 95 per cent of SIR enumeration forms have been distributed across 12 states and Union Territories in Phase II.

According to the Daily Bulletin issued at 3 PM today, the ECI confirmed that 48,67,37,064 SIR forms have been successfully delivered to electors out of the 50,97,43,173 printed, covering regions - Andaman and Nicobar, Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Currently, a nationwide SIR phase two is being carried out in 12 states and union territories, with the final elector's list to be published on February 7, 2026. According to the Election Commission, printing and training took place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November 4 to December 4.