Falling Sex Ratio: Himachal Pradesh among 10 worst states

According to Thakur, 24 panchayats in Una district, bordering Punjab, has a child sex ratio (0-6) below 500. The overall sex ratio of 875 /1000 in the district, is also lowest in Himachal Pradesh and needs immediate steps to arrest the trend.

Thakur was replying in the state assembly during question hour when Una Congress MLA Kuldeep Kumar and BJP MLA Ravinder Ravi had drawn his attention towards the issue and wanted to know the reasons why Himachal Pradesh was fast slipping into the category of states having low sex ratio.

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Kuldeep Kumar pointed out that two gram panchayats of Una have sex ratio as low as 111 and 167 respectively. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had already sent notice to the state government seeking a report on the subject.

The health minister confirmed that sex ratio of 24 gram panchayats was very low and state government has taken notice of it. After NHRC’s notice, the Supreme Court  has also taken cognizance of the alarming situation. The state government has submitted its report informing the NHRC about the steps being taken.

He informed that an owner of an ultra-sound unit has been convicted under PC & PNDT Act. The accused has also been sentenced to one year imprisonment, and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000. Moreover, a state level monitoring committee has been constituted.

However Ravi and former health minister Rajeev Bindal (BJP) raised their concern on slow implementation of Mother Tracking scheme and lack of interstates co-ordination to address the issue.

Here, Thakur sought cooperation of the elected representative to tackle the problem and advised them not to put pressure on the medical authorities to withdraw action against those having non-registered Ultra-sound units. The powers have now been delegated to block medical officers to seal and confiscate similar illegal units. There are 260 working ultrasound units including 86 in the State and 174 in the private sector.

The minister said that an incentive scheme for the panchayats have been announced to reward those having best sex ratio and the others, having low sex ratio, will be punished by denying development grants. Incentive for the family having single girl child or two girls will be raised to Rs 40,000, which could be deposited in the fixed Bank account of the child.

The state government has written to health authorities in Punjab to conduct joint raids and inspections as part of a drive to check the illegal ultrasound center alluring people of Una and other border districts with Punjab.

The state have overall sex ratio of 909 against 1000 female as Una district have 875, Kangra-876, Hamirpur-887, Solan-899, Bilaspur-900, Mandi-916, Shimla-925, Sirmaur-928, Chamba- 953, Kullu-962, Kinnuar-963 and Lahaul Spiti-1033, according to Thakur.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal suggested to the minister if the public representatives had indulged in unlawful practice and interference with the legal process, the state government should act against them.