Gauhati High Court directs government to continue providing dry ration to sex workers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has directed the State Government to continue providing dry ration to sex workers for another two months.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL/28/2021) had been filed by Debajit Gupta regarding providing ration cards to sex workers who have been identified by the competent authority so that they can get the benefits as provided to ration cardholders. A divisional bench of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Malasri Nandi, during a hearing in this case recently, stated that sex workers had not yet been issued any ration card. The counsel for the State Government told the court that although ration cards had not been issued to sex workers, the State authorities were looking after the welfare of the sex workers and had been providing dry ration to them, as mentioned in paragraphs 7 and 13 of the affidavits filed by the Cachar Deputy Commissioner on 08.06.2021.

The counsel for the petitioner told the court that since night curfew was still in operation, the sex workers would be in dire need of such assistance and, therefore, the benefits which had been extended to them by the State authority may be continued.

The Bench stated, "We are of the view that the same benefits, as mentioned in paragraphs 7 and 13, should be continued to be granted to the sex workers for a further period of 2 (two) months or till appropriate order is passed in that regard." The court also granted the State Government three weeks' time to file additional affidavit.

Also Read: Gauhati High Court to Cachar DC: Provide ration to sex workers and their families

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