Maha to form grievance redressal cell for surrogacy issues

After the Centre approved the draft bill proposing a complete ban on commercial surrogacy, Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant today said a grievance cell to address issues and complaints regarding the practise will be set up.
Sawant was replying to a calling attention motion moved by Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe and others in the Legislative Council.
He informed the House that the state government was positive about setting up a system for regulation of surrogacy and it will consider the suggestions/objections from members and give a proposal to the committee that will be set up for the purpose.
"Based on the report of the committee, we will then take the proposal to the Cabinet for its approval. To ensure that women are not exploited for surrogacy, we will strictly implement the law," he said.

Earlier, while speaking over the issue, Gorhe said with no definite guidelines, surrogate mothers are often used to conceive babies multiple times in return of money in a short span of time, leading to a health hazard.
"At times there are deformed children or twins or trips born. What about those deformed children or what about those extra children if there was need for just one child. Also, the testimony heard from surrogate mothers over their exploitation is terrible," she said.
NCP member Rahul Narvekar had opined that instead of different laws for states on the issue, Maharashtra Legislature should unanimously pass a resolution and ask the Centre for a Uniform law to check malpractices.