As the Election Commission gets ready to handle their particular documentation issues, sex workers in Kolkata's Sonagachi neighborhood are expected to receive a special assistance camp due to growing dread and confusion over the ongoing SIR of electoral records.
The Electoral Registration Officer will personally visit the camp to hear their cases, the official continued.
The commission has taken note of the concerns, a senior official in the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office told PTI, after several organizations brought attention to the fact that many sex workers at Asia's largest red light district are unable to trace records from 2002, which is a requirement under the SIR process.

"We've heard that these local sex workers are filling out the paperwork. We would provide our assistance if they needed it. The official stated on Wednesday, "We discovered that many of them were unable to identify any connection to the 2002 voter lists.
"When the hearing starts after the draft roll is out on December 9, we have decided to organise special hearing camps in those areas so that the issue can be resolved on the spot and they don't face any problem," he stated.
The Electoral Registration Officer will personally visit the camp to hear their cases, the official continued.

The action comes after three organizations that support sex workers and their children—the Society for Human Development and Social Action, Usha Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd., and Amra Padatik—sent a letter to CEO Manoj Agarwal last week alerting him to the possibility of hundreds of Sonagachi residents being left off the voter list due to their inability to comply with the 2002-document requirement.
According to the organizations, it is nearly impossible for sex workers to obtain records from 2002, and many women who have hidden their occupation from their families because of societal stigma are unable to ask family members for any documentation.
Additionally, they brought up instances of women whose parents' identities are completely unknown, pleading with the panel to be sensitive to their situation.Sonagachi, which is home to almost 10,000 sex workers, has seen a rapid rise of worries, with locals claiming that dread has overtaken day-to-day activities.
Many point out that they simply do not have the paperwork they are being required to provide, especially evidence of family information from the 2002 election roll.
On Tuesday, a number of organizations convened in the CEO's office to reiterate their demand that the SIR process take into consideration women who lack access to family histories.
According to commission sources, the issues have been given careful consideration.In order to prevent sex workers from being excluded because of uncontrollable circumstances, the administration plans to publish the draft electoral rolls on December 9, allow claims and objections until January 8, and hold hearings and verification between December 9 and January 31 before the final rolls are released on February 7, 2026.
Therefore, the goal of the planned special camp at Sonagachi is to review their cases immediately during the hearing window and expeditiously approve legitimate petitions.

Additionally, the organizations contend that many sex workers already receive state welfare benefits, such as widow pensions and Lakshmir Bhandar, and they have questioned why their citizenship status should be questioned when they are listed as recipients in government records.

The environment has become "deeply distressing," according to rights organizations that assist sex workers and their kids, and they hope that the special camp would at last provide solace and clarification.