Silent observer useless: Varsha

The silent observer,also known as an active tracker,is a device introduced by the Kolhapur district administration in 2010 to check illegal sex selection. The device is fixed atop sonography machines and helps scan and track images of the foetus at a central level. Lekh Laadki Abhiyaan coordinator Varsha Deshpande said despite the use of such devices,sex selective racket still thrives. She urged that the device,which was not cost-effective,be withdrawn. When contacted,former district collector Laxmikant Deshmukh who had introduced the initiative said the system cannot be expected to perform a miracle. “The system was installed when we realised there was false reporting and /or under-reporting of cases. Now,the monthly reporting of ‘F’ forms that provide medical history of pregnant women has increased to 16,000 per month. The project has been replicated in districts of Haryana and Rajasthan,he added.