Members of POW staging dharna demanding action against a private hospital that was allegedly involved in commercial surrogacy, in Visakhapatnam on Monday. | Photo Credit: C.V. Subrahmanyam more-in The Progressive Organisation for Women (POW) staged a dharna near Gandhi statue opposite GVMC office on Monday, demanding immediate action against a private hospital for being allegedly involved in commercial surrogacy. The members of POW demanded that the police should book cases against the hospital under relevant sections for illegally performing commercial surrogacy and under SC ST prevention of Atrocities Act. Ms. Lakshmi of POW said that the government has given permission for traditional surrogacy, but gestational and commercial surrogacy is banned and the victim N. Nagalakshmi a dalit was cheated into it. “The initial police investigation also confirmed the illegality, but still no steps have been taken. And neither did the Department of Woman and Child Welfare have taken any action, despite the Chairman of National SC ST Commission Mr. Ramulu demanding compensation for the victim and action against the hospital,” she said. ‘No action taken’ The District Collector was also approached several times but there has been no movement in the case, she said. “We demand that the Government take the necessary steps to stop commercial surrogacy, gives us the information that we are seeking under the RTI Act and hold the investigation in a transparent manner,” she said.

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