The court said effective schemes should be prepared by the Centre and states for those voluntarily giving up the profession.
The Supreme Court today held that government cannot compel rescued sex workers to stay in corrective homes for vocational training and said effective schemes should be prepared by the Centre and states even for those voluntarily giving up the profession.
A bench of Justice Markandeya Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra expressed anguish that the Centre and most of the states, including Delhi, had failed to come up with suitable schemes for sex workers despite the apex court's direction.
"From a perusal of UJWALA scheme, it appears that the central government has a scheme only for rescued trafficked women but no scheme for those sex workers who voluntarily want to leave sex trade. In our opinion, a proper effective scheme should be prepared also for such women who voluntarily give up the profession.
"In this connection, we would like to say that the central government scheme has placed a condition that the rescued sex workers must stay in a corrective home in order to get technical training.
"In our opinion, no such condition should be imposed as many sex workers are reluctant to stay in these corrective homes which they consider as virtual prison," the bench said in an order.
The apex court, while complimenting Andhra Pradesh for having a unique scheme for sex workers, chided the Delhi and West Bengal governments for failing to initiate necessary steps for their rehabilitation.
The apex court said providing short-stay homes to sex workers is hardly a solution to their problem as they must be provided a "marketable technical skill" to enable them to earn a decent living.
"Merely sending them to homes is sending them to starvation. We were, therefore, disappointed by the approach of the state of West Bengal where the problem is most acute. Much more needs to be done by the state government.
"As regards Delhi, there seems to be no scheme of the state government for rehabilitation of sex workers. This is indeed regrettable. There are many red light areas such as the one in GB Road in Delhi, " the apex court said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}