Even though there is gender inequality and a visible girl mortality rate in the State, adequate measures have not been taken on behalf of the State Government to contain these problems, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India revealed in its report tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday. "Though there is gender inequality in the State, gender-based data was yet to be maintained under the Integrated Child Development Services platform to ensure 100 per cent coverage of children, especially girls, under the Supplementary Nutritional Programme. Similarly, when the State Plan of Action for Children (SPAC) 2009-12 sets different goals and objectives, the Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women 2014 was formulated only in June 2014. There were deficient institutional arrangements in implementation of Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act to check female foeticide," the CAG said.
According to Census 2011, children in the age group of 0-18 years constitute 36.52 per cent of total population of Odisha of which 49.09 per cent are girls. Child sex ratio declined from 953 in 2001 to 941 in 2011. literacy rate for females remains at 62.46 in the State against the national rate of 65.46. Mortality rates for girl children under five years age stood at 74, which exceeds male child rate of 70 per 1,000 live births. The CAG said calorie/ protein value of nutrition supplied was not determined to ensure nutritional security of girls even though 14,651 girls were found to be severely malnourished in test checked Child Development Project Officers. Similarly, it found that implementation of the SABAlA/ Kishori Shakti Yojana scheme for the adolescent girls was not fully effective as an amount of Rs 5.95 crore was surrendered even though 9.38 lakh adolescent girls remained uncovered under the scheme.
At elementary level, 2,516 primary/ upper primary schools did not have own school buildings, 7,497 schools did not have separate toilets for girls and 18,616 schools were not having boundary walls. Even in secondary schools where adolescent girls were studying, 220 and 2,201 schools did not have separate toilets for girls and boundary walls respectively. Out of 17.80 lakh girls enrolled in Class I to IV during 2009-10, only 14.22 lakh girls were found pursuing their studies in Class V to Class VII during 2013-14.