Shillong, Mar 19: Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday said that female sex workers in the state are being rehabilitated through the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society (MACS) through the Targeted Intervention (TI) projects through different NGOs. Rymbui while replying to a ‘half hour’ discussion on the last day of the Budget Session of the Meghalaya Assembly said that the objective of the TI was to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The Home Minister said that provisions of drop-in-centres where a safe space is provided to the targeted population.
“This serves as a counseling centre, recreational centre, health check up, access top contraceptives,†he said.
Rymbui said that police especially in East Khasi Hills conducts regular checking of hotels/lodges/ guest houses located in Khyndailad. Also foot patrolling at regular intervals and night patrolling by police officers are done. The Home Minister also said that a special cell for women has been set up in Sadar Police Station to exclusively deal with cases related to sexual assault, domestic violence, missing cases and immoral trafficking.
“We need to create awareness among sex workers on the risks of human trafficking and exploitation particularly of women and children of the health related risks associated with sex work,†Rymbui said.
Earlier moving the discussion, North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum said that as per the report of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), there are 1553 female sex workers who are registered under many projects run by the different NGOs in the year 2018-2019.
He informed the House that the MACS last year had reported that there are 4435 registered People Living with HIV in the State and out of which, 2198 are female and 223 are children (104 boys and 119 girls).
