Rather the state government’s statement before the Apex Court about the exact number of FSW in Punjab was without any convincing available data, revealed RTI.
On August 2, during the hearing of - Budhadev Karmaskar versus State of West Bengal - a case about the plight of FSWs and plans to rehabilitate them in the country, the Punjab Government submitted in the Supreme Court that the total number of FSWs was 20,253 in Punjab and there was no red light areas in the state.
But in reply to an RTI application about the basis of this exact number of FSWs in the state, the Punjab State AIDS Control Society and Punjab Health System Corporation said the figures were based on a mapping study conducted by National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and the total FSWs number were an estimated figure.
It was an NGO which conducted the mapping study and contract to conduct the study to this NGO was given by the NACO, claimed Punjab Health Department and State AIDS control society in reply to the RTI application. Mangat Arora, an advocate in Faridkot has sought the information under RTI.
