'Bill for rehabilitation of sex workers to be tabled during Winter Session'

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it is bringing a bill in Parliament during the ongoing winter session to curb trafficking and rehabilitation of sex workers in the country.

The top court directed all the States and Union Territories to not insist on the requirement of ration cards or any other identity proofs from the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) identified sex workers and provide them dry ration during the pandemic period in compliance with the earlier orders of the court.

A bench of Justices LN Rao and BR Gavai recorded the submission of Additional Solicitor General RS Suri that the centre has planned to bring in legislation during the ongoing winter session to curb trafficking and rehabilitation of sex workers.

The bench said, Right to Food has been recognised as a human right under Article 21 of the Constitution. Though there is some improvement in the situation caused by the COVID pandemic, we are of the view that there is the constitutional obligation of the States/UTs to provide basic amenities to its Citizens, which takes into its fold the sex workers, who are also entitled to dry rations.

The top court was hearing an application filed by an NGO in a 2010 petition seeking to address the problems of sex workers in the country.

The bench noted that this court has constituted a committee to submit its recommendations for the rehabilitation of sex workers in 2011 and the panel has submitted a detailed report with recommendations to the court.

It said that on February 27, this court was informed by the Additional Solicitor General that a group of ministers was seized of the matter and it is examining two draft legislation which will take into account the recommendation of the court-appointed committee.

The bench said that realising that the petition was pending since 2010 and the need for legislation, the court had asked the government to bring in the law at the earliest.

ASG RS Suri submits that legislation will be placed before the Parliament during the ongoing session of Parliament, the bench recorded the submission and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.

The top court also asked Suri to serve a copy of draft legislation after senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, who is a member of the court-appointed committee and amicus curiae, said that he wants to see whether the government has acted on at least one of the recommendations of the panel.

The bench said that Suri may also serve the copy of the draft legislation to other parties. It said that on October 28, 2020, the court had directed all the State governments and Union Territories to ensure distribution of the minimum quantity of dry ration to sex workers, who have been identified by the National Aids Control Organisation.