EC asked to include sex workers in revised electoral rolls

NEW DELHI, Feb 12 (UNI) The Bhartiya Patita Uddhar Sabha, an NGO working for the rehabilitation and upliftment of prostitutes, has expressed concern over denial of democratic rights to sex workers by non-inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls and approached the Election Commission seeking enlisting of their names before the coming Lok Sabha polls.

In a petition submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner, Sabha president Khairati Lal Bhola pointed out that only 30 per cent of 23 lakh sex workers and their 62 lakh children residing in 1100 red light areas in the country have their names in the electoral rolls at present.

Despite repeated requests, the names of the remaining 70 per cent sex workers and their children have not been enrolled in the electoral rolls, he regretted.

With the Lok Sabha polls round the corner, the Commission has instructed its officers to include the names of all eligible persons, especially the daily wagers and those working in factories in the revised electoral rolls.

The Commission has also asked its staff members to visit the areas personally to update the lists, he said.

"But so far no official from the Election Commission has ever visited the red light areas to enroll the names of the sex workers and their children," he pointed out.

Earlier, the Sabha had supplied the filled forms to the Commission and on the basis of which names of 30 per cent sex workers and their children were added into the lists.

"Sex workers are illiterate and donot want to go out of their areas fearing policemen.

Therefore, you are requested to instruct all the concerned officials visiting the red light areas to enroll the names of the sex workers and their children who are above 18 years of age," he urged.