Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 28: As the House members, irrespective of party affiliation, expressed their serious concern over declining sex ratio in Jammu and Kashmir, the Legislative Assembly today adopted PDP MLA Choudhary Zulfikar’s private member resolution on effective measures to check the menace of female foeticide in the State.
The resolution was adopted unanimously with a voice vote after the Minister for Health and Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din also supported the same.
“Though the Government has already taken several steps to curb the menace of female foeticide in the State, we welcome suggestions of the members to deal with this sensitive issue,” he said while winding up discussion on the Resolution.
He said the Government has put in place effective mechanism to deal with people who indulge in illegal practices of sex determination and foeticide.
The Minister also said several sops have been announced for the whistle blowers and many people are coming forward to give information on such activities. “The trends of previous years have shown improvement in the sex ratio in the State with the measures initiated in this direction,” he added.
Earlier, moving the Resolution, Choudhary Zulfikar drew attention of the House towards the menace of female foeticide in Jammu and Kashmir. Listing the figures of sex ratio decline since the last one decade, he lamented that despite enactment of PNDT Act 2002, the situation was worsening due to no strict implementation of the law in this regard.
“Despite the fact that J&K has only 52 Radiologists, scores of Ultra-sound clinics are in operation across the State,” Zulfikar said and demanded strict measures to check the menace.
Giving the example of Maharashtra where all the registered Ultra-sound machines are attached to a device that is further linked to a control room of the Government to ensure that no sex-determination test is conducted, he stressed for such measures besides strict punishment to the guilty persons.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat of PDP, who moved an amendment to the Resolution, alleged that lackluster approach of the administration was responsible for growing menace of female foeticide.
Ashwani Sharma of JSM stressed the need to change mindset of people besides strict implementation of laws to check the female foeticide incidents.
Aga Syed Ruhulla of NC stressed that only law can not check the menace but internal consciousness of people. Listing examples from Islamic history and holy books, he highlighted the importance of fair sex and high esteem accorded to female.
Dr Shafi Ahmad Wani of PDP and Bimla Luthra of National Conference, also expressed their concern over the declining sex ratio and appealed the Government to take sufficient and effective measures to check the menace.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel