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The spurt in online escort services has badly hit the business at Kolkata’s Sonagachi, the largest red-light district in south Asia. In the last one-and-a-half years, online escort services have steadily eaten into the income of about 11,000 sex workers of Sonagachi.
According to the sex workers of Sonagachi, they are mainly divided into three categories in terms of income. Those who belong to the first category earn about Rs 2.5 lakh a month, out of which they have to pay Rs.1 lakh rent for the accommodation they use for business. There are at least 2,000 sex workers in the first category.
The sex workers belonging to the second category - about 5,000 of them - earn about Rs 70,000 a month and have to spend nearly Rs 20,000 on rent. They are also badly hit by the online escort services. However, the remaining 4,000 sex workers, who belong to the third rung, are not much affected by the online services as they mostly roam around the streets to get customers and are not dependent on middlemen.
According to the sex workers of Sonagachi, they are mainly divided into three categories in terms of income. Those who belong to the first category earn about Rs 2.5 lakh a month, out of which they have to pay Rs.1 lakh rent for the accommodation they use for business. There are at least 2,000 sex workers in the first category.
The sex workers belonging to the second category - about 5,000 of them - earn about Rs 70,000 a month and have to spend nearly Rs 20,000 on rent. They are also badly hit by the online escort services. However, the remaining 4,000 sex workers, who belong to the third rung, are not much affected by the online services as they mostly roam around the streets to get customers and are not dependent on middlemen.
