Haryana sex ratio touches 950 for first time

For the first time in the history of the state, the sex ratio at birth in Haryana has touched the 950 mark, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said here on Friday.

Khattar said the figure has been achieved following strict efforts to improve the sex ratio through a sustained campaign as part of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padao' campaign.

"The state government launched a massive campaign by implementing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, and Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, and running sensitisation-cum-awareness campaigns promoting girl child," Khattar said.

He said more than 430 FIRs (first information reports) have been lodged in the state under the PC-PNDT Act and MTP Act against offenders during last about two years since the launch of the campaign against those who were involved in sex selection and female foeticide.

"Out of these, more than 80 FIRs were registered after inter-state raids in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Punjab. All raids were conducted by deploying decoys."

"Apart from these, more than 50 cases of Sex Selection Drugs (SSDs) being sold by unscrupulous elements promising male child were also detected and FIRs were registered against such offenders under the PNDT Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC)," Khattar said.

The Chief Minister said rampant misuse of MTP kits for illegal abortion purposes by unauthorised paramedics in the state was also detected and culprits were booked under MTP Act, Drugs Act and IPC.

Haryana witnessed the sex ratio at birth crossing the 900 mark in 2016 for the first time.

Earlier, the sex ratio in Haryana was a dismal 879 females per 1,000 males.

Haryana had ranked the worst among all states in sex ratio in the country.

--IANS

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