Maharashtra declares monthly financial aid of 5k to sex workers during pandemic
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Mumbai: Maharashtra government has declared a monthly financial aid of Rs. 5000 to the identified sex workers in the state. The beneficiaries will also be eligible for another Rs. 2,500, if they have school-going children, to support their wards' online education. The aid will be given until the end of the pandemic.
The sex workers will also get a monthly ration of 3 kilo gram wheat and 2 kilo gram rice.
Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Minister for Housing, said that 31,000 beneficiaries are identified for the scheme.
Sex workers in Maharashtra will be given financial aid of Rs 5,000 per month from October to December. Those sex workers who have school-going children will be provided additional Rs 2,500. Nearly 31,000 beneficiaries have been identified:
— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) November 26, 2020
Very good initiative by MVA govt
While welcoming the long-demanded decision, various NGOs pointed out that the number of identified beneficiaries is tweaked and many of the eligible are left out.
Earlier, many NGOs had pointed out that while the authorities announced assistance to various professionals, they failed to acknowledge sex workers, whose livelihood has been completely locked down during the pandemic.