In a bid to end discrimination against the girl child, senior BJP leader and in charge of ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ panel Rajendra Phadke on Sunday said the party has selected 161 districts across the country where it is concentrating on improving the sex ratio.
“Out of 25 States in the country, we have selected 161 districts where the sex ratio is below the national average ratio of 929 and we are concentrating in these places to improve this ratio,” Mr. Phadke told reporters here.
He also said in the northern region of the country, the party has found a few States where efforts are required to improve sex ratio in order to save girl child.
Mr. Phadke, who was appointed in charge of ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ panel in order to take forward this government scheme, said that the party found nine districts in Punjab, three in Uttarakhand, UT Chandigarh, two in Himachal Pradesh, 10 in Jammu and Kashmir and eight in Haryana where focus is required for improving ratio.
“There are several reasons like literacy rate, girl safety issues and social problem like dowry behind the low sex ratio in these places which we have examined,” he said.
Stating that the BJP was committed to save the girl child, Phadke that the party had proposed to introduce active tracker machines at private and government hospitals in BJP-ruled States to curb the practice of sex determination.
“Active tracker machine was first introduced in Madhya Pradesh on pilot basis which yielded good results and now we are asking BJP ruled states to have this machine,” he said.
Mr. Phadke said active tracker machine will now be installed in hospitals in Varanasi which is the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh, who is also part of the task force made for this government scheme, said because of the campaign launched at grass root level to save girl child through government’s initiative of ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ , the sex ratio in several places like Haryana has improved.
“We are holding meetings with different sections of the society to encourage them to save girl child,” he said.
Meanwhile, Haryana Women and Child Minister Minister Kavita Jain said the state government is planning to invite the most educated girl in each village to hoist the National Flag on the occasion of Independence Day on August 15 to spread the message of ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’
The minister was addressing a State-level meeting to review the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ programme, organised by the BJP here on Sunday.
The meeting was attended by delegations from Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Delhi.
She said the positive results of the programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Panipat on January 22 in 2015, were becoming visible and the sex ratio at birth had crossed 903 girls per 1,000 boys in the State.
The programme has been extended to cover the districts of Gurgaon, Jind, Faridabad, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Panchkula and Palwal, she said.
More than 300 cases of illegal sex determination through ultrasound have been registered so far in the State.
Doctors and all social, political, religious and non-governmental organisations are being associated with this programme.
Apart from this, the government has also implemented several schemes for the protection, assistance and encouragement of the girl child, which has brought about positive change in the mindset of the people, she added. PTI
More than 300 cases of illegal sex determination through ultrasound have been registered so far in Haryana.
