Odisha: Rs 25,000 to people for informing about illegal sex determination

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Friday launched guidelines for wider implementation of Informers’ Incentive Scheme to safeguard ‘right to life’ of the female fetus.
According to the guidelines, the people who inform the government authorities about the illegal sex determination of fetus will be incentivized with a cash award of Rs 25,000 in three instalments.
Aim of the scheme is to prevent the malpractice and misuse of technology, to improve child sex ratio and to set up a reliable network of informers for giving information related to sex selection. According to National Family Health Survey-5 report, sex ratio at birth is 894 in Odisha.
Official sources said the first instalment of Rs 10,000 will be given to the informer after supplying confirmed information. Second instalment of Rs 10,000 will be given after framing of charges against the accused and filing of prosecution report, while the third instalment of Rs 5,000 will be sanctioned on conviction of the accused in the court of law.
The state government has a legislation called the pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, to curb the practice of sex determination and sex selection. A total of 1190 ultrasound centres have been registered under this Act. Of these, 25 percent of the centres have been closed or non-functional. To keep a track of the unused machines, this scheme will help the government, said the official sources.
Health secretary Shalini Pandit said determining sex of the fetus and sex selection amounts to misuse of technology and is one of the important reasons for declining sex ratio. “Information from peoples’ sources will be very helpful in preventing this malice,” she added.
All the district magistrates have been requested to create awareness among the community and ensure their active participation in the scheme. They will set up a reliable network of informers for giving information related to sex selection. They will designate an officer and provide a contact number to receive complaints.
The district administration will maintain a separate confidential file and complaint register at the district level. They will undertake fact finding visits with the help of district task force members, after a complaint is received.