By Alok Mathur
For the first time in Rajasthan, more than 13,000 sex workers from across the state will vote in assembly elections. According to data from state election commission, the maximum number of sex workers are from Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Bundi, Nagaur, Alwar and Jaisalmer.
Officials said that the identity of sex workers will be kept secret.
Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer ( CEO ) Pravin Gupta said that the commission has been able to get a list of 13,232 sex workers from various sources like State Aids Control Society and other NGOs working in this field.
“We have been able to register 98.26% of the total identified sex workers in the state. This has been done in two phases. In the first phase, the government registered 12,282 sex workers and remaining 720 in the second phase.
“While 13,002 sex workers have been registered in voter list, 230 sex workers are yet to be registered for various reasons including their unwillingness, change of place and age being less than 18 years,” Gupta said.
The Supreme Court in December 2021 had directed states and union territories to immediately issue ration cards, voter identity cards and Aadhaar numbers to sex workers so that they can receive benefits of social welfare schemes.
All state government since then have been engaging NGOs and other agencies for identifying sex workers and giving their rights.
Alok Mathur is a law graduate. Journalism is his first love which he now pursues in the latter half of his career. Controversies and crime are the right triggers for him.
