Vijayawada: Campaign seeking help to lockdown victims launched

Vijayawada: Many NGOs started a month-long nation-wide signature campaign here on Wednesday, to mount pressure on the Centre to release monthly direct cash assistance of Rs 6,000 to the families affected by COVID-19 lockdown.

Organised by various civil society organisations, the campaign aims to obtain one lakh signatures from AP and urge the Central and State Governments to release funds directly to the affected families including women engaged in prostitution and survivors of trafficking during the lockdown.

Addressing media persons, Ram Mohan Nimmaraju, secretary of HELP organisation, Haseena, state convenor of VIMUKTHI Survivors Forum, Meharuneesa of Indian Leadership Forum Against Trafficking (ILFAT), P Devi, Me and My World Network and V Bhaskar, state coordinator of NATSAP (Network Against Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation in AP) said the lockdown led to emergence of an unprecedented economic scenario.

Due to continuous lockdown since March in the country crores of migrant workers, sex workers, survivors of human trafficking, unorganised sector workers, street vendors and self-employed small business communities across the country have lost work, wages and livelihood income and struggling terrible hardships. The campaign is conducted in all the districts of Andhra Pradesh with the support of all partner NGOs of NATSAP. Other various NGOs networks are also taking part in collection of signatures.