By IANS,
Shimla : Four states – Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand – have decided to set up a joint task force to check female foeticide, Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Rajeev Bindal said Thursday.
“An understanding has been reached between Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand to start a joint campaign against female foeticide,” Bindal said while replying to a question in the state assembly.
“The task force would be alert in border areas to put an effective check on people going for ultrasound scans to ascertain sex of the foetus,” he added.
The state government has taken steps to implement the Pre-Natal Diagnostics Test Act and has undertaken awareness programmes against the evil, he said.
“The state government has also announced a reward of Rs.10,000 to persons providing information against people indulging in killing of the girl child in the womb,” Bindal said.
He said the ratio of females per 1,000 male had gone up to 903 in the state against 856 in 2001.