Capacity building workshop held
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 26 2012: Against the backdrop of 'serious stage' of declining child sex ratio in the State, a capacity building workshop for media with the State Appropriate Authority and PNDT Cell was organised by Directorate of Family Welfare Services at Conference Hall of H&FW Directorate located at BT Road today.

The workshop was graced by Director of Family Welfare Services, Manipur Dr N Achouba Singh; Additional Director of Family Services, Dr K Rajo; State Nodal Officer Dr Th Arunkumar; member of State Appropriate Authority N Binodini and member of State Appropriate Authority (PNDT) L Sumatibala.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr K Rajo said the Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, passed by the Parliament in 1994, has been implemented since 2003 with the slogan "Save the Girl child' across the country.

Dr Rajo opined that selective abortion of girl child is responsible for declining of female population, hence resulting in rampant incidents of crimes like trafficking, rape and population imbalance.

No prenatal diagnostic techniques shall be used or conducted unless the person qualified to do so is satisfied for reasons to be recorded in writing that any of the following conditions are fulfilled, namely, age of the pregnant woman is above thirty-five years; the pregnant woman has undergone of two or more spontaneous abortions or foetal loss; the pregnant woman had been exposed to potentially teratogenic agents such as drugs, radiation, infection or chemicals; the pregnant woman or her spouse has a family history of mental retardation or physical deformities such as, spasticity or any other genetic disease.

Dr Th Arunkumar said the total child sex ratio of the State as per 2011 census is 934 girls child out of 1000 boys.

He noted that around 30 million female foetuses have been terminated so far in the State.

He added that any person involved in incident leading to abortion is punishable under the PNDT.

The State Appropriate Authority has the right to withhold even the license of a medical practitioner who is found involved in abortion after determining the sex of the foetus at hospitals, health centres and clinic through ultrasonography or other sex determining machine under the PNDT Act, said N Binodini.

She added that any unregistered clinic or hospital under PNDT Act could be banned while also observing the dwindling population of girl child as per the decadal censuses.

Admitting the presence of many unregistered clinics and hospitals in the State, L Sumatibala said that the authority would start ceasing unregistered clinics and hospitals in Imphal area and small towns of the State.

Maintaining that the normal ratio of girl child in Manipur has been dropped to a record low, proper implementation of PC& PNDT Act is required in the state in order to stop such practice, Dr Achouba Singh said.

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