Punjab Has An Improved Sex-Ratio : Chawla

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Punjab has an improved sex-ratio : Chawla

Punjab Newsline Network

Friday, 01 April 2011

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla here Friday expressed hope that the sex-ratio of Punjab would improve further. She said although as per the preliminary report of census 2011 Punjab has witnessed an improvement in the sex-ratio as the current figure rose to 846 in 2011 from the 798 as per census 2001.We have definitely achieved some success, but still there is much more that needed to be done in this area.

She stated that her department and the official entrusted the job to implement PNDT Act are undoubtedly doing their best, yet some thing that plays a deterrent, is the negative interference by the people who are in power, Prof. Chawla said. Many times in the past when the health officials are sincerely doing their duty to check the menace of female foeticide powerful politicians and representatives of social organizations come forward to rescue the miscreants. Not only this even the local politicians also put a lot of pressure upon the health officials to let the violators of PC-PNDT act go Scot free.

While further talking about the phenomena behind the sex-ratio nationally, the Health Minister clarified that the trend of more males prevails universally. Punjab has however witnessed the worst scenario during the decade of 80's when the misuse of new technology task of at a large scale. Thereafter the sex-ratio in the state had started dropping and in year 2001, it come down to a low of 798 girls behind every 1000 boys. However owing to concerted efforts of the department, some success has been achieved in checking this reverse trend. Further improvement of 48 points has been witnessed as per the 2011 census report.

While strongly criticizing the prevailing mindset of some persons in power, Chawla urged them to not to make attempts to bail out, people who indulge in evils like female foeticide. They must instead support

the officials who are fighting for the cause of girl child.

Prof. Chawla further made an earnest appeal to the people to come forward and become the genuine volunteers for the cause of girls. She also appealed people to foot a resistance to such lobbies that support the violators of PNDT Act.