Kulwinder Sandhu, Tribune News Service
Moga, April 20. Hundreds of people have been duped under the banner of ‘Nanhi Chhaan’, a socio-religious campaign launched by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal against female foeticide.
Hundreds of forms have been sold at Rs 15 each at the Suvidha Centre here during the past few months.
These forms, duly completed, were accepted by employees/contractors of the centre along with Rs 300 in cash from couples with daughters.
Sources said the employees promised to provide a grant of Rs 1 lakh to couples with a girlchild, Rs 2 lakh to those with two daughters and Rs 3 lakh to those with three daughters. “There is no such scheme to provide financial aid to couples with daughters,” said a Social Welfare Department official.
When contacted, Moga Deputy Commissioner Arshdeep Singh Thind claimed that no such forms were sold by the Suvidha Centre. “These forms could have been sold prior to my posting here last week,” he said.
The DC said he would look into the matter and take appropriate action against those found guilty. An employee at the Suvidha Centre, Mohit Arora, said a few months ago these forms were sold by a contractor who was given the task to run the centre.
“Now, the centre is managed directly by the district administration and we are neither selling nor accepting the controversial forms under the so-called Nanhi Chhaan scheme”, he added.
