Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) An NGO working among sex workers in the capital’s red light area has asked the government to provide computers in a local school and improve the sanitation in the area.The Bharatiya Patita Uddhar Sabha, an NGO working for the upliftment of sex workers across the country, submitted a memorandum to union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal Thursday evening, stating the pathetic living conditions of the sex workers and the urgent need to do something about it.

“Since Kapil Sibal represents the Chandni Chowk area where this red light area (G.B. Road) is, we submitted a memorandum to him giving eight points that will help improve the living conditions of the sex workers,” Khairati Lal Bhola, president of the NGO, told IANS.

According to Bhola, there are 5,000 to 6,000 sex workers in the G.B. Road area.

“One of the points was that only 25 percent of the women have ration cards while the rest 75 percent have no valid identity proof. Then, we also said that computers should be provided in the school functioning from a brothel since last month for the children of the sex workers,” he said.

Realising that most of the kids have nothing constructive to do as their mothers go about their work at night, the NGO opened a school for them Dec 27 last year.

The school, for lack of space, functions from a brothel and has 24 children studying in it.

“At present, the school functions from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and has classes till Class 5,” Bhola added.

Some of the other demands the NGO put forth are kerosene for the women, better sanitation, better roads and regular spraying of insect and mosquito repellants in the area.

“Sibal assured us that he will look into the demands. With the elections coming up, we hope that these are not empty words,” Bhola said.

The NGO, which works in 1,100 red light areas in nine states across the country, has also opened a vocational training centre for the sex workers in G.B. Road where they are imparted skills such as sewing and stitching so that they have the option to start their life anew if they want to.