KOLKATA, Jan. 3 -- The Election Commission (EC) has authorised district electoral officers (DEOs) to approve the inclusion of eligible persons from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in West Bengal even if their names did not figure in the 2002 voter list. The move paves the way for communities such as Birhor, Toto, Lodha Sabar and Kheria Sabar to be enrolled in the electoral rolls without producing documents during SIR hearings, following a new directive of the Election Commission of India (ECI). According to sources, district administrations have sought block-wise lists of names and habitations from block development officers so that the administration can facilitate the issuance of Scheduled Tribe certificates for members who do not possess them. Voters from the Birhor, Toto and Sabar communities would be enrolled without documents following DEO approval. An EC official said Aadhaar cards have largely been issued to Kheria Sabars in Purulia, and for Birhor and Sabar members without caste certificates, the administration would do the needful.

Birhor and Toto communities fall under the Centre's PVTG category and are considered endangered. Birhors live mainly in Balarampur, Baghmundi and Jhalda-I blocks of Purulia with an estimated population of around 300. Lodha Sabars are spread across seven blocks in Jhargram, 14 blocks in West Medinipur and one block in East Medinipur, with a population of over one lakh. Kheria Sabars are found only in Purulia across 11 blocks, comprising 3,127 families and a population of about 14,040, including 6,950 voters. The Toto tribe primarily resides in Totopara village in Alipurduar's Madarihat block near the Bhutan border, with a population of around 1,700. An EC official said no cases of missing documents have been received so far in Alipurduar, but the matter is under review. Prashanta Rakshit, head of the West Bengal Kheria Sabar Welfare Association, welcomed the decision, saying asking indigenous communities to prove their roots with documents would be shameful. For sex workers and ashram inmates, DEOs have been instructed to conduct personal visits and public enquiries in red-light areas and institutions, recording evidence through hearings and videography. Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti reiterated on December 30 that the aim is to ensure no eligible voter is excluded, and the revised electoral roll will be published on February 14.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.