Girl child abandoned near railway tracks, as Nitish launches campaign against dowry, child marriage

At least 10 abandoned girl child have been rescued during the last year from Vaishali, which is among the 100 districts shortlisted for the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao national campaign.

A two-day old girl child, abandoned along railway tracks, was recovered from Hajipur in Vaishali district on Monday, causing some embarrassment to the government.

The special newborn care unit at the sadar hospital, Hajipur, where the girl child is undergoing treatment. (HT photo)

The recovery came hours before Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar launched his second ambitious social reforms agenda — to end the practice of dowry and child marriage — in Patna, 30 kms south of Vaishali on Monday.

A passer-by spotted the girl child in bushes along the Jagjivan Ram rail bridge across the Gandak river at Tangaul colony under the Hajipur Town police station of district headquarters Vaishali.

The Childline India Foundation, an NGO that operates a telephone helpline called Childline (1098) — a phone outreach service for children — took custody of the baby and admitted her to the Hajipur sadar hospital.

“The agency has recovered 10 abandoned female infants from Vaishali and foiled 40 child marriages in the district during the last one year,” said Childline district nodal director Sudhir Shukla.

Vaishali is Bihar’s lone district and among 100 shortlisted for the Beti bachao, beti padhao (save the girl child, educate the girl child) national campaign.