New Delhi, Oct 15: The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Delhi government, its Department of Social Welfare and Delhi Commission for Women on a PIL seeking proper rehabilitation of sex workers and their children recently evicted from red light areas here. While issuing the notices, a division bench of Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri asked the respondents to file their replies within three-and-a-half months.
The petitioner, an NGO - Shakti Vahini, also sought implementation of the "action plan to combat trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children" prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 1998.
As a result of the government's failure to implement the said action plan, the condition of women and children engaged in prostitution has worsened, it contended.
While supporting the authorities' efforts to evict prostitutes and seal their homes and further rescue innocent women and children, the petitioner accused the government of failing to provide a comprehensive rehabilitation package thereby aggravating the miseries of the victims.
The NGO urged the court to direct the respondents not to exercise their power under Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act to seal the premises of a prostitute without announcing a rehabilitation package providing compensation and alternative accommodation for the prostitutes and their children, besides extending welfare measures such as schools, and medical care.
It also sought a direction to the respondents to produce all records relating to the status of victims living in red light areas of Delhi and steps taken for their rehabilitation.
Bureau Report