In an endeavour to overcome gender discrimination in tribal habitations of Chandampet mandal, its Mandal Parishad resolved to felicitate the parents of a girl child within a week of delivery in the presence of all the mandal level officers such as Tahsildar, MPDO, Sub-inspector of Police, Health Officer, Child Development Officer and elected representatives ZPTC, MPTC and Sarpanch.
Felicitation
During the felicitation programme, the officials will gift them a Johnson &Johnson child care kit, Rs. 1,000 under Janani Suraksha Yojana, birth certificate and Rs 880 to those who undergo tubectomy. The parents will also be given food security card, NREGS job card, Jan Dhan Yojana Account, Pradana Mantri Jeevana Jyoti Yojana, Mother and Child Health Services Card, Arogyasri card and others.
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They will also promise them that the mandal administration will provide free education to the girl child at government’s sishu vihar if the parents still do not want to raise the girl.
According to statistics available, the tribals from Deverakonda revenue division, under which Chandampet falls, have abandoned about 250 girl children at Sishu Gruha during the past one decade. Due to increased monitoring, the officials said the parents would at least fear to desert the girl children.
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After launching the programme at a tribal habitation at Gattukinda Tanda, the Zilla Parisath Chairman, Nenavath Balu Nayak handed over all these benefits to Jarpula Bharathi, who delivered her second girl baby recently, and her husband Nagesh.
According to the unique programme designed by Mandal Parishad Development Officer, K. Narasimhulu, they would also plant a sapling of fruit bearing tree on the premises of house in recognition of girl’s birth.
Dubious distinction
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Narasimhulu said that they wanted to boost the confidence of tribal people that the government was there to extend support to them. Since the Chandampet, having highest percentage of tribal population in district, held the dubious distinction of having worst sex ratio, he said that initiative would encourage the tribals to treat girl children on a par with the boys.
According to 2011 census, the mandal had 26,787 males to 26,621 females. However, there were only 11,846 tribal women for 13,818 tribal men which clearly explain the intensity of gender discrimination in tribal habitations.
Low literacy rate
Number of abortions, infant girl child deaths were reported in the mandal over the years which was also attributed to poor literacy rate.
Only 30 per cent of women in the mandal are literate, but the percentage is much less among the tribal women.
The officials have also identified about 2,000 girl children below the age of 14 years out of the school.
In addition to this, the mandal parishad also resolved to recommend the district administration to issue the benefits of all the government welfare schemes on the day of delivery to the parents of girl children.