From focussing on 12 districts of Haryana with the most skewed sex ratio, to urging women in the households to boycott those who favour female foeticide, to rewarding schools which enrol the highest number of girl students, Union Ministers and Haryana Ministers on Saturday announced a slew of measures for saving and educating the girl child in the State.
Awareness yatras
The Ministers flagged off Awareness Yatras in different districts as a prelude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao national programme from Panipat on January 22.
ADVERTISEMENT
Union Minister for Rural Development Birender Singh urged women to boycott those who pressured them or others to resort to female foeticide. Mr. Singh said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme seeks to eradicate this practice.
State Health Minister Anil Vij urged social and religious institutions and khap panchayats to support the national programme and take a pledge that they would not let female foeticide take place in their areas. The school managements, which will ensure maximum enrolment of girls, would be awarded, he declared.
Mr. Vij said besides saving the girl child, her education was necessary.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the programme would be implemented in 100 districts of the country, out of which 12 districts of Haryana with the lowest sex ratio have been selected. These are Mahendergarh, Jhajjar, Rewari, Sonepat, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Karnal, Yamuna Nagar, Kaithal, Bhiwani and Panipat.
In Sonepat, Haryana Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain said the scheme would “spread awareness among people regarding security of girls, female foeticide, declining sex ratio, education and empowerment of women.”
The yatras would travel to different parts over three days and sensitise people about these burning issues.
Prelude to national programme to be launched by PM on Jan. 22