Hyderabad, April 24: Several voluntary agencies involved in the sordid saga of child adoption racket are making a killing by exploiting the desire of childless couples from abroad to adopt Lambada girls.

Official sources said several girls from the State had been sent to Canada, Australia and some European and African countries The demand for Lambada girls is more in countries where there is high incidence of infertility rate.

“The birth of girl children is more in Lambada families. Most of them believe that after four or five deliveries, they will have a male baby. What is alarming is the fact that polygamy is rampant among the Lambadas. There are cases where a man had four or five wives with each wife delivering four or five female babies,” says an ayah of Sishu Vihar.

Right from furnishing information on the features of the baby to immigration and formalities such as getting clearance from the Central Adoption Regulation Authority and Voluntary Adoption Coordination Agency are taken care of by the well-organised broker network.

Sources said the VACA which has its jurisdiction within the State to accord clearance to adoption applications is hand-in-glove with the NGOs which are involved in unauthorised sale and purchase of girl children from poverty-stricken Lambadas spread over the Telangana districts of Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar, Medak and Nalgonda.

The racketeers procure girls from John Abraham Bethany Home, Tandur and Action for Social Development Society, Hyderabad, and claim that the children have been adopted from NGOs based in other States.

“The unscrupulous elements are cashing in on the demand for Lambada girls abroad. Parentless couples from abroad are craving to adopt girls from Lambada community because of their fair complexion and good features,” admits Director of Women and Child Welfare Shalini Mishra.

“Of course, we have some information on number of kids transported abroad for adoption with the consent of VACA. But we don’t have any information on those who had been sent in the name of NGOs of other States,” she told Deccan Chronicle.

Only five NGOs have been given licence by the CARA to give children on adoption of which the licence of Bethany Home, Tandur has been withdrawn following the outbreak of the scam. The other NGOs which have licences are city-based Tender Loving, Indian Council for Social Work, Guildock Service and Kakinada-based Missions to Nation.

Following information that one of the licensed NGOs is indulging in nefarious activities by flouting the rules, the Department of Women and Child Welfare is planning to launch a crackdown. “We have issued a GO on April 18 to make the adoption process a rigorous one. From now onwards we will stop adoption of our children to abroad” Minister for Women and Child Welfare S Saraswati said.