Kolkata, Nov. 26 -- Days after several NGOs voiced concern over the requirement to furnish legacy documents from the 2002 SIR process for sex workers of Sonagachi - the country's largest red-light district, West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Monoj Agarwal met their representatives and assured them that he would, if necessary, invoke his "special powers" to safeguard the voting rights of sex workers and their children.
"He assured us that the voting rights of sex workers would not be compromised by the SIR process. He said he would stand with us and, if required, use his 'special powers' to ensure voter ID cards are issued to sex workers and their children," one of the representatives who met the CEO told UNI, requesting anonymity.
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