ANANTAPUR : Incentives promised to BPL women giving birth in government hospitals as part of schemes to bring down maternal mortality rate have not been paid since October. The file pertaining to the release of `2.23 crore towards the efforts is still pending for clearance.Various schemes, including Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Janani Sishu Samrakshna Yojana (JSSY) and family planning are being implemented by the state and Central governments through the National Health Mission.
If a woman delivers in a government hospital, she is eligible to get benefits under the three schemes. As per the norms, benefits are to be disbursed to the woman at the government hospital itself after the delivery.Across the district, about 72,000 women give birth every year, of them 45.47 per cent deliver in government hospitals. Most of the women are below poverty line (BPL) and eligible to get benefits under the schemes.
Pregnant women are paid `1,000 in rural areas and `600 in urban areas under the JSY scheme. If the woman undergoes surgery under the family planning scheme, she is to be paid `600.
`1.3 crore is required to disburse incentives under JSC scheme; `8 lakh under JSSK scheme; and `85 lakh under family planning operations. As per official statistics, 7,531 women were given `69.7 lakh worth incentives under JSY scheme till the end of July.However, DMH Dr P Venkataramana calimed there was no dearth of funds under JSY, KSSK and FP schemes.