Delhi government to reward informers, decoys for help in busting illegal sex test centres

This initiative, the government said, will help improve Delhi’s sex ratio. As of 2016, 902 girl children were born for every 1,000 live births of boys.

The Delhi cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod for an incentive scheme for informers and pregnant women who act as decoys and help in cracking down on centres conducting illegal sex determination tests. The scheme had been proposed by the government three years ago.

Hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres are not allowed to determine and disclose the gender of the foetus to the parents under the Pre-Conception, Pre-Natal Diagnostics Technique Act. (HT File)

For every successful raid by the government, the person who informed about the unregistered ultrasound centre or machine will be paid ₹50,000. If the raid is unsuccessful, there will be no incentive for the informer.

The government has also decided to pay ₹1,50,000 to any pregnant woman who poses as a decoy patient for ‘sting operations’ to nab the centres red-handed. Of the total amount, ₹50,000 would be given immediately after a successful raid and the rest would be paid only after a deposition and submission of statements in the court.

The decoys will be given an incentive of ₹50,000 in case of an unsuccessful raid too in order to compensate for her time and effort.

This initiative, the government said, will help improve Delhi’s sex ratio. As of 2016, 902 girl children were born for every 1,000 live births of boys.

Hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres are not allowed to determine and disclose the gender of the foetus to the parents under the Pre-Conception, Pre-Natal Diagnostics Technique (PC-PNDT) Act. A person charged under PC-PNDT may be imprisoned for 3 years and fined ₹10,000. On subsequent offences, the prison term may extend to 5 years and the fine may go up to ₹1 lakh.

The state PC-PNDT cell maintains a record of all the centres and machines in the Delhi that provide ultrasonography services.

Similar schemes in states like Haryana and Rajasthan have helped in improving conviction rates.

So far, all the raids in Delhi with decoy patients were done in collaboration with Haryana, as Delhi did not have an incentive scheme.

“This is the best way of making a case against a doctor or technician for a conviction under PC-PNDT. Without it, we have to depend on documents that might not result in a conviction always,” said an official from Delhi government health department.