Big relief for PVTG communities as ECI clears document-free voter enrollment in Bengal

The Election Commission of India has allowed members of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in West Bengal to be enrolled in the voter list without producing documents during the Special Intensive Revision, providing major relief to some of the state’s most marginalised communities.

Under the directive, eligible members of the Birhor, Toto, Lodha Sabar and Kheria Sabar communities will be registered as voters on the basis of approval by the district magistrate, even if their names were not included in the 2002 electoral rolls.

Following the order, district administrations have asked block development officers to submit block-wise lists of habitations and eligible individuals. The administration will also complete the process of issuing Scheduled Tribe certificates for members who currently do not possess them.

A senior district election official said that once the district magistrate grants approval, names of Birhor, Toto and Sabar voters will be added without documents. He noted that most Kheria Sabar members in Purulia already have Aadhaar cards, while certification processes are being facilitated for others.

Officials said the situation in Alipurduar district is relatively stable, with no major document-related issues reported so far, though a review is ongoing. The revised electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on February 14.

Welcoming the move, West Bengal Kheria Sabar Welfare Association chief Prashant Rakshit said asking these communities to prove their roots through documents would be “extremely shameful”. The decision is seen as a corrective step, especially for communities historically stigmatised under colonial-era laws and still living in remote forest and hilly regions.