Srinagar, Apr 25: A high level Parliament delegation headed by the Member Parliament Ram Villas Paswan on Monday expressed concern over the continuous practice of female foeticide and decreasing female growth in the state, an official spokesman said.
 The high level delegation that arrived here this morning while interacting with the various representatives of Non-Government Organizations, social activists, legal practitioners and women groups discussed threadbare the petition for need to curb the female foeticide, he added.
 “The forum unanimously pleaded for strong and stringent action against officials found guilty of such heinous crime, regular checks on illegal ultra –sound clinics and the laws already existing be implemented in letter and spirit,” the spokesman said. 
 “It was also felt in the meeting that a vigorous awareness campaign should be launched against such kind of inhuman act and in this connection the religious and other concerned agencies, including  NGOs, should be involved to make people aware about the consequences of continuing this inhuman act. The participants also strongly pleaded for public-private partnership to curb this menace,” he added.
 Some members, according to the spokesman, stated that the root cause of the female foeticide was the domestic violence, dowry and other social evils and discrimination against the women. “They  pleaded for a positive change of mindset towards the women folk,” he said.
 Members, the spokesman said, also expressed grave concern about decline in sex ratio in the 0-6 age group and stressed for immediate steps to be taken to stop this trend in the society.
 “Appropriate measures need to be taken both by Central and State Government to implement the pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 (PNDT) and the pre-conception Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 effectively and stringent punishment for the private nursing homes/clinics who aid and abet heinous practice of female foeticide for sheer profit purposes,” the spokesman quoted members as having said.  
Among others the meeting was also attended by the Rajya Sabha Members P Rajeev, Veerpal Singh Yadav besides Health Officers of GOI and the Jammu and Kashmir State including Director NRHM, Director Health Services Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST