By IANS,
Lucknow : Grappling with incidents of crime against women, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up a women’s help cell in every district of the state, an official said Saturday.
“The move intends to check various manifestations of violence against women, particularly dowry harassment and female foeticide,” R.K. Mittal, commissioner social welfare department, told IANS.
The exercise to set up the upcoming help cells would soon be initiated, he added.
The forthcoming women’s help centres will have its members from NGOs, the police and other departments, officials said.
In UP, cases of crime against women are reported particularly from its western districts including Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar and Meerut, officials added.
The average sex ratio of the state is 898 females per 1,000 males. However, the ratio in several districts including Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Badaun and Etah is extremely poor. In these districts there are less than 850 females per 1,000 males, officials said.
This is believed to be an indicator of increasing incidence of female foeticide in the state. Officials stated this was the reason the government had also ordered a crackdown on ultrasound centres across the state, especially in western Uttar Pradesh.