CHANDIGARH: Haryana Health Department has registered a marked improvement in the child sex ratio, between the age of 0 to 6 years, as according to Civil Registration System (CRS) it has increased from 819 per 1000 males as per census 2001 to 862 in July 2007.

While stating this on Thursday, Haryana Health Minister, Kartar Devi said that it was in the year 2005 that the State Health Department started monitoring statistics at the time of birth. For that year, the child sex ratio at the time of birth had shown slight improvement as it increased to 823 per 1000 males. In  December 2006, the sex ratio between the age of 0 to six years had further increased to 857 females per thousand males.

She said that 950 ultrasound clinics or genetic clinics and 66 genetic counseling centres have so for been registered under the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act in the State. Also, 46 ultrasound machines have been registered in the Government sector. She said that the district appropriate authorities have seized and sealed 100 ultrasound machines for being unregistered or unserviceable or for violations of various provisions of the PNDT Act and its rules. As many as 5760 inspections of various ultrasound clinics have been conducted. 

She said that 36 court cases have so far been filed in various courts against the violators of the PNDT Act and two doctors of Palwal and Rohtak have been convicted for committing offences punishable under the PNDT Act. In two other cases, charges have been framed against the accused doctors.

The Minister said that a multi-member State Appropriate Authority has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Director General Health Services Haryana. Civil Surgeons of all districts have been appointed as District Appropriate Authorities. State Supervisory Board has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Health Minister to monitor the implementation of PNDT Act. State and District Advisory Committees have also been constituted for effective implementations of the provisions of this Act.