Shimla: The State Level Multi Member Appropriate Authority and Advisory Committee meeting under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PC & PNDT), was held in Shimla. In the meeting Hans Raj Sharma, Director Health Safety and Regulation, revealed that the Government of India has fixed a target for the Himachal Pradesh to enhance the Child Sex Ratio to 950 from existing 909 by 2017.
Hans Raj Sharma said that intensive awareness generation activities had been undertaken for bringing about behavioral change in the community for encouraging the birth of the girl child and for sensitizing the public to the important provisions of PC & PNDT Act. Surprise inspections were also being carried out by the concerned authorities so as to check the enforcement of the act in various parts of the State.
He said that 251 ultra sound centers have been registered in the State, out of which 172 were in private sector and 79 in the Government sector, adding that 706 surprise inspections of these centers have been carried out during last eight months. He said that provision of providing Rs. 10,000 as incentive money had been made for the informers who would give information about the illegal foeticide sex determination under the provisions made in the act.
Amitabh Awasthi, Mission Director, NRHM, Senior Officers of the State Government, representatives of various departments and medical institutions were also present in the meeting.
