The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state governments to provide dry ration to all sex workers, who have been identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and district legal authorities, without asking for ration card or any other identification proof.
A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Ajay Rastogi took into account the hardships faced by the sex workers, who have been rendered almost destitute due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The top court also asked the Centre to inform it within four weeks if there is a possibility to provide financial aid to the sex workers. Observation from the bench came during the hearing of an application moved by the NGO Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee seeking relief for over nine lakh female and transgender sex workers across the country.
The NGO moved the apex court citing hardships faced by sex workers amid the Covid.