Sex workers to keep their taluk jobs

BANGALORE: Karnataka Health Promotion Trust (KHPT) has decided to overlook a recruitment rule to let sex workers keep their jobs of taluk co-ordinator.Parinitha, Director (Projects), KHPT, confirmed this.The government had employed many sex workers as taluk co-ordinators at a monthly pay of Rs 4,500. A taluk co-ordinator’s job is to monitor community mobilisers, who distribute condoms and identify sex workers in their respective villages and taluks. They were engaged with Suraksha (an organisation working for sex workers) and carrying out its programmes in Banglore Rural, Hubli-Dharwad and Ramanagar districts. Their monthly pay was their only source of income.However, recently KHPT and Suraksha had asked them to work as community mobilisers - which means a monthly pay of Rs 1,500 - because the sex workers do not have the required qualification (SSLC). The sex workers spoke to Suraksha’s Director, Aradhya, about it, but in vain.When the talks failed, the disgruntled workers staged a dharna in front of Suraksha’s office in Ganganagar.The dharna prompted Suraksha authorities to contact KHPT and discuss the issue.Aradhya said his organisation was in favour of the sex workers but they had to follow the government rules and insist that only those with SSLC qualification become taluk co-ordinators.Parinitha confirmed that as per rules it is a must that one should have cleared SSLC to become taluk coordinator.However, she added, KHPT had decided to allow the sex workers to continue as taluk co-ordinators.