Sex workers in AP to get free ration

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, November 5

The common man is coping well with the effects pandemic and lockdowns, but one class of people that is most affected are the sex workers of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the sex workers are starving because of the total loss of their livelihood. As an emergency measure the Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to distribute free ration to save their lives.

The initial response to save the sex workers came from the Supreme Court which directed states to help the sex workers whose livelihood had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It directed the states to distribute free ration and update the apex court about the same.

In Andhra Pradesh the government has decided to distribute the ration through Anganwadi centres. All sex workers identified by the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and other agencies will be provided free ration during the month of November, initially, the state government has announced.

Sources quoting Krutika Shukla, Project Director of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), said the Anganwadi centres were being equipped to supply ration to about 1.2 lakh sex workers.

The quantum of ration to be distributed would be similar to that given to families below poverty line (BPL), they said.