The department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of Jharkhand has decided to provide food grains to sex workers who otherwise are generally not covered under any social security scheme.
“This is altogether a new thing. They will be provided food grains under Jharkhand Contingency Food Fund. Their identity will not be disclosed in case nor can they be forced to produce proof to identity. They can contact their local mukhiya and ward councillors to avail benefit. They can also apply for the ration card,” said an official of the department.
Contingency food fund was set-up in 2018 in Jharkhand after a spate of starvation deaths as an extension of food security net. Under the programme each gram panchayat is allocated Rs 10,000 as corpus fund to provide food grains to families in dire situations.
In the case of sex workers only those will be entitled to avail benefit of the scheme that are identified by National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). As per the latest record of Jharkhand State Aids Control Society in Jharkhand there are 12077 sex workers across 24 districts. The highest number of sex workers is in Dhanbad.
Sources said that the department has taken decision to provide dry ration to sex workers in the wake of Supreme judgment given a decade back in Budhadev Karmaskar Vs The state of Bengal & Others 2010.
In September 1999 a sex worker in Kolkata was murdered by a man after she refused to have sex with him.
The case reached to the Supreme Court which passed a historical judgment stating as per Article 21 of the Indian Constitution sex workers too have right to live with dignity. The Supreme Court also set up a five-member panel to suggest ways to provide alternative means of livelihood to them.
One of the recommendations was to provide dry rations to sex workers who are identified by NACO.
Dr Shyam Sundar Paswan, additional project director of Jharkhand Aids Control Society said that they regularly update list of sex workers.
“We last updated the record in September. As per the record there are 12077 sex workers in Jharkhand and highest number is in Dhanbad. We regularly carry health drives among them,” said Paswan.