In an attempt to wipe out unauthorised surrogacy centres, the State government on Monday constituted a committee that will keep a check on all surrogacy centres.
The move follows a complaint by a woman named Shubhangi Bhostekar with the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in April this year. She said her husband, Prakash, a father of two girls, wanted a son, and so he went to a surrogate centre at a private hospital with his mother, claimed he was single and went ahead with the surrogacy.
Thereafter, the Commission sought the constitution of a committee to prevent hospitals and centres from carrying out surrogacy without proper checks.
No sex determination
Talking to The Hindu, Pravin Ghuge, chairperson of the Commission, said, “We need the committee to check authorised centres that will ensure that compulsory registration for surrogacy takes place. The committee will also look into the agreement between the surrogate and the couple who wants the baby. They will not carry out any sex determination tests and will check the family background of the couple.”
Panel members
On the basis of the suggestions, the State has constituted the committee comprising the Upper Chief Secretary, School Education Department as president; the assistant commissioner of police Solapur as member (a prominent female officer), a retired minister who will also be a member, two eminent doctors, a state coordinator from the United Nations Population Fund and director Health Service (family welfare) as member secretary.
