Eunuchs' to up birth registration rate in Bihar?

After successfully using the services of eunuchs to recover taxes from habitual defaulters, the Bihar government has now decided to engage them to improve the birth registration rate in the state.

Confirming the report, Planning and Development Department Principal Secretary Vijay Prakash told rediff.com, "It is an age-old tradition across the state that eunuchs visit families on auspicious occasions like baby births. Their  visits would be more fruitful if they can be engaged to improve the birth registration rate in the state."

He said that for ages the eunuchs have been known for local network, which collects information about newborn babies in different localities in each village,

town and district.

"The government will use this network in encouraging the families to register their newborn babies with the government to avail several benefits under welfare schemes," Prakash said.

According to officials, under the new plan, eunuchs will visit families with birth certificate forms provided by the government and request them to register.

That government will pay honorariums to the eunuchs for their service.

In Bihar, the birth registration figure is only 36 per cent -- one of the lowest in the country.