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In a recent move, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority to assign a paralegal volunteer to report to the Court on the difficulties being faced by sex workers and their families in the State in view of COVID-19.

The Hon’ble Court was hearing a petition which contended the following:

1. To direct the government to include sex workers and their family members under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana as per the National Food Security Act, 2013.
2. Prayer has also been made to provide financial assistance, food and also the benefits to the children under the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme. Some of the sex workers are denied ration as they do not have the ration card.

Sonagach in Kolkata is Asia's largest red-light area. According to a report by India Today, many sex workers of the Sonagachi were unable to go back to their families living across the country during the lockdown. They had to stay back and were helped with ration and cooked food by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, a welfare organisation for sex workers across West Bengal.. The provision of cooked food was especially helpful as many who got ration did not have the money to buy gas or oil to cook it. Relief material and funds also poured in from other sources in the state and across the country.

The report further states that with 3,000 sex workers vaccinated till August 2021, an attempt has been made to spread awareness on how to keep safe during the pandemic. Sanitization is being emphasised and given its due importance.

This comes at the wake of the Central Government introducing the Draft Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021. All India Network of Sex Workers (AINSW) had written a letter to the ministry alleging that the Draft Bill conflates trafficking in persons with sex work, which may have significant consequences for the community.

The Calcutta High Court while granting time to the government pleader time to file his response, ordered the appointment of a para-legal volunteer to report to the Court on the difficulties being faced by sex workers and their families in the State in view of COVID-19. The matter is set to be heard on 7th October 2021.

Case Title: Aishwarya Adhikari  V. The State of West Bengal and Anr