sex workers problems due to corona epidemic
The apex court gave this direction during the hearing of the petition of the NGO Darbar Mahila Coordination Committee.
The petition has raised the problems being faced by sex workers due to Corona epidemic. The court had on September 29 last year directed the Center and others to provide ration to them without asking for proof of identity from them.
10 earlier the court had given instructions to provide ration
Justice L Nageswara Rao, Justice BR Gavai and Justice BV Nagarathna expressed displeasure that the direction to provide ration to sex workers was issued in 2011 but is yet to be implemented. The bench said, state governments and union territories were directed to issue ration cards and identity cards about a decade ago. There is no reason why those instructions have not been implemented so far.
Give report to the court filed within four weeks
The bench said that the status report regarding issuance of ration card, voter ID card and Aadhar card to sex workers should be filed within four weeks. Meanwhile, the State Governments and Union Territories are directed to continue distribution of ration to sex workers without asking for ration card or other identity card as mentioned in the earlier order.
The bench said, a copy of the order should be sent to the state and district legal services authorities for necessary action. It also directed the government to keep the names and identities of sex workers confidential while making various ID cards.
