A 10-day-old baby girl was handed over to the government-run Sishu Gruha by her poor tribal parents here on Thursday.
Lunavath Raju and Hasli, a couple from Rupsingh Tanda under Salavatpur gramapanchayat limits of Kowdipally mandal in Medak district handed over their fourth girl child to the authorities at the Sishu Gruha in Sangareddy stating that they cannot support her due to their poor financial conditions.
Though the parents were counselled not to go for a fourth child, they overturned the advise hoping that they would be blessed with a baby boy. However, when their hopes came crashing, the couple who already have three daughters, handed over the child to the Sishu Gruha following the intervention of an NGO.
“Had we not counselled the couple, they would have sold her,” said M.S. Chandra of CARPED, an NGO. Raju and Hasli handed over the girl to the Women and Child Welfare Department officials.
“I have three madis (small piece of land) in the village and recently dug a bore with a cost of Rs. 18,000 which however failed. My parents are old and I have performed even the marriages of my sisters. Now it is not possible for me to look after the girl and have decided to handover the baby to Sishu Gruha where she will be looked after well,” Raju told The Hindu .