Dikhyaa Mohanty 
All districts are advised to strictly implement the Informers’ Incentive Scheme in letter and spirit by the Health and Family Welfare Department. The program aims to reward and acknowledge good samaritans who alert the district office about illicit sex determination in their community.
the first payment of Rs. 10,000 following the disclosure of verified information, the second payment of Rs. 10,000 upon the submission of the Prosecution Report, if the court has taken notice and has filed charges against the accused person or persons, and the third payment of Rs. 5,000 upon the conclusion of the court case and the conviction of the accused.
According to the NFHS-5 data, Odisha has an 894 SRB (sex ratio at birth). The pre-Conception and pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, also known as the PC & PNDT Act, is a piece of law being put into effect in India to stop the heinous practice of sex determination and sex selection.
This is India’s first significant attempt at regulating medical technology. One of the main causes of the declining sex ratio is the determination of the fetus’ gender and the misuse of technology. It is imperative to gather information from the public about this in order to prevent malpractice and technology misuse, so rewarding informants is essential.
In order to prevent gender-biased sex selection, the Government of Odisha introduced the Guidelines on Informers’ Incentive Scheme on September 16, 2022. In this regard, the H&FW has issued the following instructions to districts:
- Create awareness among the community and ensure their active participation in the scheme;
- Set up a reliable network of informers for giving information related to sex selection;
- Designate an officer and a contact number to receive complaints;
- Maintain a separate confidential file and Complaint Register at the district level;
- Undertake fact finding visits with the help of District Task Force members, after a complaint is received.
