Karnataka to appoint nodal officers in all districts to stop female foeticides: Health Minister

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the state government will appoint separate nodal officers in all districts and consider strengthening legislation to curb female foeticides. Intelligence gathering, decoy operations, and stricter enforcement of PC & PNDT Act are underway

Belagavi (Karnataka): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.

 

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The Minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a “social evil”. He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.

 

The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council. “Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening,” Rao said.

 

“Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government,” he said.

 

In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the Minister said. “Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation.”

Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.

 

Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said that the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this. “Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years….advanced technology and the internet are being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.

 

We need to consider introducing legislation to regulate them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented.” The minister also said that measures are being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.