Times News NetworkKanpur: A special drive will soon be launched in the district against ART and surrogacy centres operating without registration, as well as units providing IVF services.District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh has directed that centres which have not yet obtained registration under the provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) (Regulation) Act, 2021 to apply within three days. After the stipulated period, strict legal action under the Acts will be taken against centres found operating without registration.The registration is mandatory for providing surrogacy services under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. Operating surrogacy, IVF, or other ART services without valid registration is a punishable offence. In such cases, the Act provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, the DM said.It was informed in the meeting that applications for registration will be made online through the National ART and Surrogacy Registry portal. The Act provides for registration of 4 types of centres. The registration fee for ART Bank and ART Clinic Level-1 is Rs 50,000 each, while the registration fee for ART Clinic Level-2 and Surrogacy Clinic has been fixed at Rs 2 lakh each.It was stated in the meeting that in view of practical difficulties in inspection, and in accordance with guidelines received from the Government of India, inspection-related powers have been delegated by the State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board to the district-level Janpadiya Samuchit Pradhikaran constituted at the district level. This authority will conduct on-site inspection of the applied premises on the basis of the prescribed checklist.In the Janpadiya Samuchit Pradhikaran, the DM is the chairperson. In the registration, renewal, and other administrative and financial proceedings of ART and surrogacy centres in the district, the decision of the chairperson of the appropriate authority will be final.
