Informer scheme to help in crackdown against female foeticide
After three successful decoy operations against illegal abortions recently, the state health department now plans to introduce ‘informer scheme’ to make its drive against female foeticide more effective.
Health secretary and PreConception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (PCPDNT) state appropriate authority Naveen Jain on Monday said that the department has started a crackdown on unregistered institutions and people involved in illegal abortions.
“Although, there is information scheme in PCPNDT in which informers are given money, but at present there is no such scheme for informers informing about illegal abortions,” he said. “In the forthcoming PCPDNT state supervisory board meeting, a proposal will be submitted for giving money to informers giving information about illegal abortions,” he added.
At present, an informer and decoy pregnant woman are given Rs 1 lakh each under the PCPNDT Act. The person accompanying the decoy pregnant woman is given Rs 50,000.
“To curb maternal mortality and end female feoticide, it is necessary to follow Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971. In 2012, PCPNDT Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was formed and given powers to take action under criminal procedure code and Indian penal code against sex determination (PCPNDT Act), illegal abortions (MTP Act) and Drugs and Magical Remedies Act. Using these powers, a special campaign has been launched in the state against unregistered institutions and people doing illegal abortions,” Jain said.
The health department on Sunday (July 8) had formed a team under the Bikaner chief medical and health officer (CMHO) and arrested a former local health visitor (LHV) Durga Rajput, who had allegedly started preparations for an abortion after taking Rs 10,000 from a decoy customer. During investigations, it was found that Rajput used to do 10-15 abortions per month.
In another incident on Tuesday (July 10), a team, led by Bikaner CMHO, had caught a gynaecologist Dr OP Modi of Modi Clinic at Baap in Jodhpur district. Dr Modi was allegedly about to do an illegal abortion on a 15-year-old seven-month pregnant minor when he was caught. Similarly, the state PCPNDT cell arrested Vakil Singh and his wife Lakshmi allegedly for their involvement in illegal abortions in Sureshia area of Hanumangarh district.
Jain said total 124 decoy operations have been conducted since 2009.
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