Telangana CEO Vikas Raj urges sex workers, transgenders to register to vote

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj urged sex workers and transgender people to register to vote and exercise their rights.

Addressing a video conference attended by 52 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) fighting to protect the rights of sex workers in Telangana, the CEO urged the NGOs to enlist sex workers who have not yet been recruited as part of the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) process.

NGOs working to prevent HIV attended the video conference.

Mr. Vikas Raj said the Election Commission has directed that documentary verification of place of residence will not be required for sex workers who do not have any. He also said that the booth-level officer will visit the given address to ensure that the claimant actually resides at the address mentioned in his/her Form 6 and will submit a verification report to the electoral registration officer/assistant electoral registration officer who will decide the case accordingly.

Rachana Mudraboyina, a member of the Telangana Transgender Welfare Board, said, "It is true that not many women might come forward claiming to be sex workers. But this move is not to disrespect sex workers in any way. Sex workers, too, have the right to identify themselves and enroll as votes. By enrolling as votes and having identification, sex workers will have access to government welfare schemes and more."

Later, during a discussion with the transgender community, Mr. Raj sought proposals from members of the Transgender Welfare Board as well as NGOs working with transgenders to take efforts to enroll eligible transgenders in order for them to exercise their voting rights.

Based on the conversations, he said specific initiatives at the district level will be launched to enroll transgenders who have not yet enrolled.

Representatives from the child and women development department as well as members of the transgender board joined the video conference on Tuesday.