After a minor improvement recently, the state has again taken a downward plunge with successive deaths of many girl children.
With the clampdown on foeticide, people have resorted to killing baby girls
NAWANSHAHR: Punjab has always been in the news for its dismal sex ratio. After a minor improvement recently, the state has again taken a downward plunge with successive deaths of many girl children.
At least, a dozen baby girls died in the last two months in the Nawanshahr district. Since female foeticide and pre-natal tests are completely banned in the city, authorities are in a tizzy whether people have now resorted to killing the babies.
Deputy Commissioner Krishan Kumar has issued mandatory orders for every family to report the death of a girl child, if any, to the district administration before the last rites are performed. A team of doctors would examine the cause of the death, and if necessary, an autopsy would be done to find out if there has been any foul play, the DC said. And if found guilty, the parents would face murder charges under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, he added. Kumar also ordered an inquiry to ensure the actual number of deaths.
Nawanshahr has been one among the many districts with the poorest sex ratio in Punjab. The new development came up after a series of measures in the last one-and-half years to push the sex ratio in the district.
Besides the involvement of Upkar Coordination Society, an NGO, the district administration has mobilised services of ANMs and anganwadi workers to keep an eye on pregnant women and educate them against resorting to female foeticide.
More than 15 cases were registered against women for resorting to female foeticide, whereas the administration shut down all CT scan centres in the district after they were found to be surrepticiously indulging in sex determination tests.
The new orders have been issued to make people understand their responsibilities and shield them against committing the dreaded crime, said Kumar. "We monitor pregnant women from the conception to the delivery of the child. But we have to extend the monitoring for a longer period to completely eliminate the crime," he added.
Monitoring machines have been installed in many villages and NGOs are being invited to dissuade people from undertaking abortions. Of the 16 districts in the country with the worst sex ratio, 10 are in Punjab. The national figure is between 927 and1,000. In Punjab alone, it is 793.
"We maintain a computerised record of all pregnant women in the district. I believe the problem stems from the age-old social stigma against the birth of a girl child," the deputy commissioner said.
To tackle the issue, the district administration has undertaken an exercise to empower women. More than 350 girls are being trained in handling computers at a computer training centre, Kumar said.
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