TNN | Sep 21, 2012,

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government may have gone on an overdrive sterilizing women to control population but the programme has had its fallout too. The state has booked the top slot in the country in terms of the number of failed sterilization cases in 2012 so far and also registered four deaths. In fact, the state government has also had to pay hefty amounts as compensation to those affected.As per the Centre’s figures, out of the total 2,700 failed sterilization cases reported so far in the country, 772 were registered just in Rajasthan this year. The Central government figures show that states like Madhya Pradesh, UP, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisharecorded 566, 420, 177, 125 and 102 cases of failed sterilization respectively.As many as four deaths have been registered in the state due to failed sterilization complications. Each death cost the state government Rs 2 lakh, which it gives to the relatives of the deceased.

Every year Rajasthan conducts sterilization of over 3 lakh women and men in the state, often offering Nano cars and free gas connections to lure people. But the state government, which has been promoting sterilization for years as the best family planning method, has ended up paying over Rs 10 crore as a compensation for failed sterilization in the last three years, shows an RTI filed by a resident of Jaipur, Yadunath Dashanan. The figures of failed sterilization in the last three years came into light when Dashanan filed an RTI to know the figures of compensation paid by the state government.

From the response to the RTI application it was found that from 2009 to 2011, there were 4200 failed sterilization cases in Rajasthan.

As per the Central government’s figures, in 2011, too, Rajasthan recorded 16 deaths due to failed sterilization complications. But, in terms of deaths in 2011, it is much behind states like TN, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, which recorded 44, 22 and 22 deaths respectively.

Even though Rajasthan is much behind in registering sterilization cases in comparison to Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, it recorded maximum cases of failed sterilization in 2012 till date.