Delhi Government has asked police to register FIRs against three prenatal centres in the Capital found to be allegedly carrying out sex determination tests. The Government has also directed the authorities concerned to issue showcause notices to three more violators.
“Delhi Police has been asked to lodge FIRs against three centres due to violation of provisions of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT), 1994. These three centres are in Jahangirpuri, Bakhtawarpur and Narela,” said a senior official of the Government.
While chairing a meeting of District Advisory Committee of PC & PNDT Act, Deputy Commissioner (North) Madhu Teotia said authorities concerned have also been directed to issue showcause notices to three more centres.
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC& PNDT) Act, 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to stop female foeticide and arrest the declining sex ratio in India. The Act banned prenatal sex determination. The main purpose of enacting the Act is to ban the use of sex selection techniques before or after conception and prevent the misuse of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex selective abortion.
Teotia said the Delhi Government will take strict action against the violators in cases of pre-birth sex determination. The PC&PNDT Act was enacted to stop female foeticide by banning pre-natal sex determination.Senior officials in Delhi Government said that officials of the health department have been asked to conduct surprise checks on nursing homes, hospitals and clinical pathology labs to see whether they weer indulging in malpractices by performing pre-natal tests.