: Odisha has failed to ensure proper implementation of schemes for the welfare and protection of the girl child in the State, according to Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
The CAG report on the social sector which was tabled in Odisha Assembly on Tuesday says, “Though the child sex ratio declined from 953 in 2001 to 941 in 2011 in the State, enforcement of Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostics Techniques (PCPNDT) Act was not adequate and effective to curb female foeticide due to belated and non-constitution of PNDT cells across all the districts coupled with absence of enforcement measures,” the report says.
“It was noticed that 11,552 children including 8,246 girls (71 per cent) were reported missing in Odisha during 2009-2013. The number of missing girls outnumbered the missing boys every year,” the report says.
“Against the number of missing 3,306 boys and 8,246 girls, only 2,972 girls (36 per cent) were rescued and 5,274 girls were not traced in 2013,” it maintains.
On the education front, girls continued to be neglected. “Out of 17.80 lakh girls enrolled in Class I to IV during 2009-10, only 14.22 lakh girls were pursuing their studies in Class V to Class VII during 2013-14,” the audit agency finds.
Similarly, at elementary level, 2,516 primary and upper primary schools did not have own school buildings; 7,497 schools did not have separate toilets for girls and 18,616 schools were not having boundary walls.
“Implementation of SABALA scheme under which iron folic acid is supplied to adolescent girls was not fully effective as an amount of Rs. 5.95 crore was surrendered, even though 9.38 lakh adolescent girls remained uncovered under the scheme,” CAG says.
