BHUBANESWAR: With social distancing norms in place, more than 250 sex workers in city’s Mali Sahi witnessed their incomes disappear almost overnight due to the Covid-19 health pandemic. Lack of ration cards or other registered identity proofs has added to their vulnerability, leaving them sidelined from government-sponsored relief measures. Out of 250 sex workers, around 60 to 70 women own a ration card or Aadhar Card, claimed a sex worker from the slum, Nagamani. After the lockdown was announced, around 100 women left for their villages in Phulbani, Rayagada, Berhampur, Ganjam, Cuttack, Titlagarh, Sambalpur and West Bengal.
“More than 100 women and their children are still staying at Malia Sahi. Most of them don’t have ration cards,” added Nagamani.
The sex workers, who possessed ration cards, were able to receive 15 kg rice and 3 kg lentils for three months from public distribution system (PDS) shops. “But, not all sex workers living in the red light area could fetch the free supplies. Moreover, the relief supplies are too little for us to survive with zero income.
We can’t work elsewhere as people will not accept us,” she said. Meanwhile, Odisha Human Rights Commission issued notice to the Municipal Commissioner of Bhubaneswar on June 1 to provide food and ration to the commercial sex workers. The order specified that strict compliance should be made but the sex workers have no ration cards. Chairperson of MADHYAM and Mahila Adhikar Abhiyan Namrata Chadha had filed a petition regarding the plight of commercial sex workers due to the lockdown. Meanwhile, officials from BMC remained unavailable for comments.