“Providing monetary incentive for promoting male sterilisation paid dividends as many from slums and slum-like areas came forward for vasectomy. We also need to educate the literate masses, especially those working in corporate sectors like call centres and malls,” said Dr Asha Advani, special officer, women and child development, BMC.

“We are targeting corporate houses and companies mainly for creating awareness of vasectomy as a permanent birth-control measure and clear the myths. So far, we have visited a number of call centres, Godrej Company, MTNL and even Mumbai Port Trust,” said Dr Advani.

I did not want my wife to go under the scalpel for family planning so I volunteered for it,” said Raju (name changed), a 30-year-old senior employee in a consulting firm and father of two kids. “It is safe and does not affect our sexual life.”

Many family planning options available for women, especially oral pills, have side-effects that affect the couple’s sexual life.

“We have two kids — an eight-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. My wife’s platelet count is low and hence she cannot undergo any family planning operation. Hence I am opting for it.” said a mechanic in BEST.

Meanwhile, the BMC is worried about poor performance because the state government has stopped funding the scheme that offered additional monetary incentive to men opting for sterilisation.

In 2008-’09, Mumbai recorded 4,661 vasectomies, way above the target of 3,000 set by the BMC. The improved city figures helped the state jump from the worst performing state (second last before 2008) to third in the country this year.

“The city recorded maximum vasectomies in the state and the state is the third in the country only after West Bengal and Punjab. However in 2008-’09, the figures dropped to 3,100. We need to meet at least last year’s figures,” said Dr Advani.

While the students suffer, the government and the NGOs are now indulging in a blame game. The NGOs have objected to the new ‘stringent’ rules framed by the government and accused it of delaying funds, whereas officials have alleged that the NGOs have refused to fall in line.

NCLP was started across India in 2001 with the primary aim to rehabilitate child labourers between 9-14 years of age in special schools, where informal education and vocational training are imparted along with provision of supplementary nutrition and health care services. The schools were to be run by the NGOs short listed by the government.

As per the newly framed rules, the NGOs running NCLP centres are required to prove that the children studying are from hazardous backgrounds and are child labourers.

Other rules require the NGOs to regularly dispatch reports to the Labour Commissioner on rehabilitating children, and collect fines from people who employ children.

NGOs complain that it is difficult for them to identify hazardous and non-hazardous sectors and collect fines.

Susheela, state convenor of the Campaign against Child Labour, alleged that “funds have not been released for 6-22 months in various centres across the state.” NCLP deputy commissioner of Bangalore Urban M K Aiyappa said that a meeting will be called shortly to discuss the status and progress of NCLP centres. On delay in release of funds, he said that there was delay in funds from the Central Government.

C Chauhan, Project director of the Bangalore Urban area, said that the government was willing to release funds if the NGOs fall in line to adhere to all rules.