Mystery shrouded the deaths of two newborn baby girls in the border district of Jaisalmer while the district administration has ordered a probe into the deaths. A sub-divisional magistrate had visited the border area villages on Saturday and collected information.
According to sources, the issue came to light after a healthy baby girl died on July 25. A local social activist termed the incidents of such deaths as a case of “female foeticide” as this part of the region was infamous for killing “baby girls”. The border district of Jaisalmer is known for its skewed sex radio.
Sources said a resident of Chhod village, Bhanwari, delivered a healthy baby girl at health centre on July 23, but the newborn died on the very next day. It has been alleged that the girl was deliberately prevented from breast-feeding. However, family termed it as baseless.
In an another case, Lakshmi delivered a baby girl at the primary health centre on July 25. However, the condition of baby was described healthy, she died on July 28. According to the local historians, the region was prone to female infanticide.
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Kolkata district to get DM
age correspondent
Kolkata
July 30: The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to accord the status of district to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
State chief secretary Samar Ghosh announced this after a meeting with the senior officials of the land and land reforms and excise departments on Saturday. He chaired the meeting on the instruction of the chief minister.
State home secretary G.D. Gautama and municipal commissioner Arnab Roy were also present in the meeting. Although the city is included among the list of 19 districts of the state it did not have a separate administrative infrastructure nor did it have a district magistrate.
“A DM will be appointed as the administrative head of Kolkata district which will have a collectorate for the collection of revenues, including stamp duty and excise duty. All 141 wards of the KMC will fall under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata district,” Mr Ghosh added.