First time in 10 years, sex ratio in Haryana crosses 900 mark: Khattar

Showing a significant improvement, the sex ratio at birth in Haryana has crossed 900 for the first time, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Saturday.

Briefing mediapersons, Khattar said for the first time in 10 years, the sex ratio at birth for December, 2015, had crossed the 900 mark with 903 girls per 1,000 boys. It was an unprecedented improvement as per available decadal, annual or monthly record since 1901, he added.

Khattar, who credited the success of the programme to the state’s multi-pronged strategy implemented under the ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ campaign, said while 12 districts had recorded sex ratio above the 900 mark in December, 2015, Sirsa district topped the list with sex ratio of 999 girls per 1,000 boys.

Referring to the statistics of other districts for the same period, he said Panchkula district registered a sex ratio of 961, Karnal 959, Fatehabad 952, Gurgaon 946, Sonepat 942, Jind 940, Rewari 931, Mewat 923, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh 912, and Hisar of 906. He said in Sirsa the sex ratio increased from 948 in October, 2015, to 978 in November and to 999 in December.

Khattar said a target to achieve sex ratio above 950 within the next six months had now been set for the entire state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ programme from Panipat on January 22, 2015 and had also expressed appreciation for Haryana, including the ‘selfie with daughter’ campaign, during his visits to Faridabad in September, 2015, and Wembley Stadium in the UK on November 13, 2015.

Khattar also lauded the efforts of Haryana health minister Anil Vij, women and child development (WCD) minister Kavita Jain and officials of different departments.

Tough action taken

As many as 58 cases and 72 FIRs were registered under the provisions of the PCPNDT and MTP Acts, respectively, from June, 2015, till date. Apart from this, prominent persons like ex-MLA, Indri, Karnal, Ashok Kashyap, who was caught red-handed while getting a sex detection test conducted, were put behind bars. Khattar said inter-state raids were conducted successfully in bordering states too. Khattar said that awareness rallies were organised to create awareness among the people. Vij said the state government had announced a scheme to offer Rs 1 lakh reward for reporting violations of the PCPNDT and MTP Acts for, which as many as 17 persons had so far been rewarded.