Bhubaneswar, Jan 8: The Health and Family Welfare Department is not taking any significant action against illegal sex determination of foetus though decline in girl ratio in the state has raised concern.
The Odisha government last year announced to provide cash reward of Rs 25,000 to the person who will help the administration bust units engaged in illegal or pre-natal sex determination.
A cash reward of Rs 25,000 will be provided to such informants in three instalments under the Informer’s Incentive Scheme for effective implementation of the provisions of PC & PNDT Act.1994 and the identity and other aspects of the informant will not be disclosed at any given point of time, the government notificaion has said.
However, no significant initiatives have been taken to check sex determination in the state.
No healthcare institutions have been raided in Jagatsighpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Nabarangpur, Dhenkanal and Balasore districts last year, according to reports.
On the other hand, raids were conducted once in Keonjhar and Puri, six times in Khordha, four times in Cuttack and Nayagarh districts. A case was registered in Berhampur with arrest of 13 persons.
No significant action has been taken in other districts under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Dignostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act.
It is pertinent to mention here that there are 925 female children for every 1000 males in Odisha, and the decline in the child sex ratio has now emerged as a concern.
