Note Ban Effect: Kolkata Sex Workers Earned Rs 55 Lakh In Just 48 Hours

As ban of 500 and 1000 notes hit the common man and also the small business owners across Kolkata, sex workers of Sonagachi, South Asia’s largest redlight area, are seeing a boom in their business as they happily accepting these old currencies.

Bharati, member of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee said “Our girls have been asked to accept Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes. But they are telling customers that they will not accept those after this week. Therefore there is a huge rush of customers.Although sex workers in top categories are facing no problem, those who take only Rs 300 to Rs 400 are facing great difficulty,”

Among the sex workers, those who charge below Rs. 500 are hardly getting customers. Customers first ask whether the sex workers will accept the 500 and 1000 notes. “If we say no, we will lose the customer. We have to accept the notes and the Durbar and Usha bank had assured us that our money will not go waste,” said one of the sex worker in that area.

In the last two days, sex workers in Sonagachi area have deposited more than Rs. 55 lakh in Usha Multipurpose Cooperative Bank, which was formed in 2001 for the sex workers

“Due to the huge rush of customers in Sonagachi, the sex workers in the last two days have deposited more than Rs 50 lakh in their bank accounts in Usha Bank. Generally, sex workers prefer to keep money in their homes but after demonetisation, there is a rush among sex workers to deposit money in the bank,” Shantanu, a senior official of Usha Bank, said.