Cradle scheme crosses 1001 babies in Dharmapuri

According to officials, the Mallasamudram baby was the first to arrive and was numbered 1,000. Found abandoned near the primary health centre (PHC) in Mallasamudram on Monday, the PHC’s medical officer Kamalaveni, who rescued the child, handed it over to the reception centre. A few hours later, the centre received cradle baby No 1001 when Deepa (28), of Kuppur village, who already has two daughters, handed over the third one she delivered on Tuesday at the centre.

However, Social Welfare Department officials said there was a decline in the number of babies arriving at the centre over the years. So far, 51 of the female babies have been reclaimed by their parents after counselling.

There have also been instances of parents abandoning male children. The Dharmapuri centre has so far received 40 male children.