CHITWAN: The Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality of Chitwan district will open a bank account along with some deposits in the name of every baby girl born in the birthing centres within the rural municipality.

The rural municipality will deposit Rs. 5,000 and will ask the parents to deposit at least the same amount in the new bank account of their baby girl.

It has been learned that parents with the poor financial condition will be supported by donors that the rural municipality would find for them.

Bank accounts will be opened in the name of the daughters born in the four birthing centres located in Hattibang-1, Kurintar-4, Chandibhanjyang-6, and Upper Dahakhani- 7 of Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality, according to the rural municipality chair Geeta Gurung.

The initiative has been taken to discourage girl infanticide, after a data of the four birthing centres revealed that of the newborn babies last year 100 were sons and only 27 were daughters, Gurung added.

Accordingly, the rural municipality had allocated a budget of Rs 3 million for women and children for the current fiscal year. The funds are also being utilised to increase women's awareness and provide them skills-oriented training.