Patna, Aug 22 (IANS): In what seems to be a major scam in Bihar, a 65-year-old woman has given birth to eight baby girls in the last 14 months! Another woman has become a mother to five baby girls in the past nine months.

The 'good news' which came multiple times for these women, sources said could be becaused some women have taken "encouragement amount" multiple times for giving birth to female babies.

Under the provision of national health mission, a woman is entitled to claim an "encouragement amount" from the state health department for giving birth to a girl child.

Leela Devi, 65, of Muzaffarpur's Mushari block has collected her share of encouragement amount for delivering 8 female babies in the last 14 months.

Another woman Sonia Devi has "given birth to five female children in the last 9 months".

Interestingly, these women have become a mother only "on paper". The encouragement amount of Rs 1,400 have been collected by them for each child.

Muzaffarpur District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh has set up a high-level inquiry committee headed by an additional district magistrate to investigate this matter.

"Prima facie, it looks like a scam... government officials and touts may be involved in it. We have constituted a team to probe this scam," Singh said.