Jammu, June 09: Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar on Friday called for strict implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, (PC&PNDT Act).
“To usher a healthy child sex ratio and curtail the menace of sex selection, implementation mechanism of the Act needs to be strengthened at all levels,” Kumar said while chairing a one-day orientation workshop organised by National Health Mission, J&K, on the effective implementation of the Act here at Convention Centre, Canal Road, Jammu
He said the child sex ratio is an important indicator of the social health of any society and any kind of decline in the sex ratio can be detrimental to the demography of the region which can ultimately imbalance the whole system of mankind.
The government is quite serious and firm enough for taking any measures required for balancing the sex ratio, he added.
The Secretary stressed upon the officers to ensure no violation of the Act takes place in the first place and any violation in this regard shall be dealt with strictly. He emphasized evolving a robust mechanism to curb all illegal practices. “The regular meetings of Regulatory Bodies/Committees should be conducted at all levels,” he said and called for ensuring regular inspections/surprise visits by the appropriate authorities at each level.
The religious leaders, schools, colleges and Panchayati Raj Institutions should be involved in spreading awareness about female foeticide and its consequences, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Ayushi Sudan, Mission Director, NHM, J&K, informed that a defined regulatory mechanism has been established under the PC&PNDT Act and regulatory bodies/committees have been constituted at all levels. These committees, including UT Supervisory Board, UT Level Task Force, Divisional Advisory Committees, and Divisional Appropriate Authorities/District Appropriate Authorities, have been entrusted with the task of strengthening the mechanism of implementation of the PC&PNDT Act. There is a need for a collaborative approach on the part of all stakeholders for effective implementation of the Act, she maintained.
Ifat Hamid, Lead Consultant, Gender and PNDT, MoH&FW and Dr. Saroj Agarwal, Consultant with Director General Health Services Haryana were resource persons during the workshop who gave detailed PowerPoint presentation on different aspects of the PC&PNDT Act, rules, and maintenance of record, powers of search, seize, Supreme Court directives and other important concerns.
