Date:23/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/23/stories/2006082312300400.htm

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Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

No move to license sex workers: Minister

Special Correspondent

N.Rajyalakshmi fears socio-legal problems

Government taking steps to rehabilitate sex workers, says Minister

Congress MLA for comprehensive rehabilitation measures

N. Rajyalakshmi

HYDERABAD: The State Government has said that there was no proposal to issue licences to commercial sex workers in the State.

Minister for Women Development and Child Welfare N. Rajyalakshmi told the Assembly on Tuesday that such a move might lead to socio-legal problems.

Replying to a question by S. Sailajanath (Congress) she said it was a fact that sex workers were being exploited. However, efforts were being made to prevent trafficking in women and children for commercial sex exploitation. The Government was taking the help of police and non-governmental organisations to rehabilitate the hapless women.

STD clinics

She said the Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society (APSACS) was rendering services to the sex workers such as behavioural change communication and free supply of condoms. Twenty STD clinics and three Anti Retroviral Treatment Centres were functioning and six more were in the pipeline, she added. A statewide scientific study was conducted and it was estimated that there were 1.50 lakh sex workers.

Dr. Sailajanath pointed out that the survey done by independent NGOs put the number of women from Andhra Pradesh in flesh trade to be over three lakhs. He said innocent women from Kadiri and Nallamada areas in Anantapur were forced to enter the flesh trade.

He urged the Government to launch a comprehensive rehabilitation policy for the welfare of commercial sex workers to counter the threat of the State becoming the topper in the number of women entering prostitution.