New team to check prenatal sex determination in Gurgaon

The city will soon have a dedicated team of health officials, police and a district attorney to ensure that the ban on prenatal sex determination test is enforced in Gurgaon.

The city will soon have a dedicated team of health officials, police and a district attorney to ensure that the ban on prenatal sex determination test is enforced in Gurgaon.

The ban on prenatal sex determination tests is important in preventing female foeticide and improving the sex ratio in the country. (HT File)

Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994, bans prenatal sex determination in the country. The ban is important in preventing female foeticide and improving the sex ratio.

The move comes after the district administration got reports of negligence and laxity of various departments in conducting searches.

Haryana’s sex ratio of 879 is one of the lowest in the country as per the 2011 Census. The national average is 943.

Over 43 people have been arrested in 12 searches conducted by the health department this year.

District drug control officer Amandeep Chauhan and secretary of Red Cross Society Shyam Sunder have been appointed as duty magistrates of the team that also includes the chief medical officer Pushpa Bishnoi and Sunaina of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Gurgaon.

“A meeting was conducted among top officials of the district administration and health department to discuss the course of raids to enforce the PNDT Act. During the discussion, a need to form a dedicated team to keep a check on cases of sex determination was highlighted,” Amandeep Chauhan, drug control officer and duty magistrate of the special team, said.

He said the officials are also in talks with the deputy commissioner of police headquarters to form a police team.

The team will be given adequate powers and the members can seek the help of officials from any department to take forward tasks under the government’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. The help of anganwadi workers and asha workers has also been sought.

“We have over 200 asha and anganwadi workers in the district. They will act as our eyes and ears in both rural and urban areas, and report any suspicious activity to determine the sex of a child in Gurgaon,” Chauhan said.

He said the team will focus on 24-hour ultrasound laboratories as well.