Constant efforts are on in the State to maintain balance of gender ratio and promote birth of girls in families. In this context, the Health Department held a workshop of district prosecution officers here on Sunday. The workshop held detailed discussions on the course of legal action to be followed after inspections of ultra sonography centres in the districts. Complaints can be registered on website www.hamaribitiya.in against persons conducting embryo sex determination tests. Action against the persons found guilty under the provisions of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994 can also be taken under the National Security Act.
Principal Secretary Health Praveer Krishna desired officers to ensure campaign’s success. The Principal Secretary informed that the Health Department’s campaign will gather momentum continuously. During coming months, workshops will be held in all districts with the cooperation of district collectors, district and sessions judges, chief medical and health officers and women & child development officers. For this, opinion is being sought from law Department so that tougher action against guilty sonography centre operators can be taken. Efforts will be made to remove technical shortcomings. Proper action will be ensured in criminal cases by chalking out district level action plans. A state level supervisory board has been constituted in Madhya Pradesh under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.
As many as 628 centres have been inspected during last 4 months of which 15 centres have been sealed and eight cases have been put up in courts. In one case, action was taken under NSA against the violator. As many as 36 cases are pending in courts in the State. The board has provided `1 lakh incentive to Gwalior’s Dr KK Dube.
Mumbai High Court has also referred to success achieved by advocate Uday Arun in this field. Secretary Home DP Gupta and others spoke on deterioration of infant sex ratio. Director Health Rajiv Dube and other officers were also present on the occasion.