Election Commission allows tea garden records for voter verification in North Bengal during roll revision
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved a significant change in the way voter identity and residence will be verified in parts of North Bengal, allowing tea garden and cinchona plantation employment records to be used as valid documents during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The decision applies to seven districts — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur — where large sections of the population depend on tea estates, plantations and forest-based livelihoods. For many residents of these areas, official employment records are often the only form of documentation they possess.
The approval was communicated by the ECI in a letter dated January 11 to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, in which the poll body said it had “no objection” to the state’s proposal to accept plantation employment documents for the SIR process.
Why this decision matters
North Bengal is home to thousands of tea garden workers, cinchona plantation employees, and forest-dwelling communities, many of whom belong to Adivasi and Gorkha groups. Historically, these workers have faced serious difficulties in producing standard identity or residence documents such as land records, utility bills, or formal address proofs.
Most tea estate workers live in labour lines or company-provided housing on plantation land, which they do not legally own. As a result, they often lack documents that are typically required for voter registration and verification.
This has led to repeated problems during electoral roll revisions, where eligible voters risk being left out simply because they cannot provide the paperwork demanded under the rules.
By recognising plantation employment records — which confirm both identity and workplace location — the ECI has acknowledged the unique living and working conditions of this population.
Background: Concerns during voter roll revision
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is currently underway in West Bengal and several other states. The exercise aims to remove duplicate, incorrect or outdated entries and ensure that only eligible voters remain on the rolls.
However, the process has raised concerns after more than 58 lakh names were removed from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls, published on December 16, on grounds such as death, shifting of residence or prolonged absence.
Similar exercises in other states, including Bihar, have also seen large-scale deletions, leading to fears that genuine voters could be excluded if they fail to provide the required documents on time.
Against this backdrop, political parties and civil society groups in North Bengal warned that plantation workers, many of whom already lack formal paperwork, could be disproportionately affected.
Political push behind the move
The decision by the Election Commission followed months of representations by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from the region. Senior party figures had written to the poll body highlighting that large sections of the tea garden, tea tribe and forest-dwelling populations had been historically excluded from electoral processes because of documentation barriers.
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had pointed out that for decades — even since the British era — plantation workers often possessed no official records other than those maintained by their employers. Many of them also do not have land titles, which further limits their ability to produce conventional proof of residence.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, welcomed the ECI’s approval, describing it as a step toward correcting long-standing injustice faced by workers in North Bengal. He called on eligible voters in these districts to come forward and register themselves using their plantation employment records.
How the new rule will work
Under the revised approach, district election officials will be allowed to accept tea garden and cinchona plantation employment records as proof of both identity and residence for the SIR process in the seven specified districts.
This means workers can use documents issued by their plantations — which typically include personal details and work location — to verify their eligibility without needing separate address or property-related papers.
Election officials say this will make the revision process more inclusive while still maintaining safeguards against duplication or fraud.
What lies ahead for voters in North Bengal
West Bengal is expected to go to the polls for its Assembly elections in the first half of 2026, making the accuracy and fairness of the voter rolls especially important. The SIR exercise is meant to strengthen the democratic process, but only if genuine voters are not excluded in the process.
By allowing plantation employment records, the Election Commission has taken a step toward balancing administrative accuracy with social reality in one of the state’s most complex regions.
For thousands of tea and cinchona workers, the decision offers a long-awaited opportunity to secure their place in the voter list and participate fully in the democratic process.
