West Bengal government is in the process of making surrogacy rules stricter and stringent in the state.
A formal notification has been issued by the state government in lines of the new surrogacy rules framed by the Centre.
The only situation where an issueless couple would be able to go for surrogacy in the state is only when there is no chance for them to have a child naturally.
A certificate from the related nodal medical officer on this count will be the pre-condition, when such a couple would be allowed to opt for surrogacy.
Figure-related issues or pretexts of professional life to be hampered will not be considered a valid reason for permission to opt for surrogacy. A couple already having a child in the regular process will also not be allowed to opt for surrogacy. The option will also be denied for couples in live-in-relationship. However, a single-mother will be allowed to opt for it, an official from the state secretariat of Nabanna said.
In case of married couples opting for surrogacy, the age bracket for the husband will be between 26 and 50 years, while that of the wife will be between 23 and 50 years.
There will be conditions also for the woman, whose womb will be used for the purpose of surrogacy. Only married women with at least one child will be given permission on this count. The couple going for surrogacy will have to give a written undertaking in the form of an affidavit that they will be bearing the expenses of the premium for medical insurance of the woman lending her womb for the next three years.
"All these documents will have to be submitted in the office of the district nodal medical officers on this count, who will evaluate whether all the documents and related papers and finally give approval for the process," the state government official said.
(With inputs from IANS)
