Haryana to reduce fertility, infant mortality rate

Chandigarh June 27 (UNI) Haryana will give priority to reducing total fertility rate, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio by 2010 and to check declining sex ratio effectively during the 11th Five Year Plan.

The state health department aims at bringing down total fertility rate from 2.4 to 2.1, infant mortality rate from 61 per thousand live births to less than 30 per thousand and maternal mortality ratio from 300 per lakh to below 100.

A spokesman of the Planning Department, after a meeting held to discussing thrust areas including infrastructure and social sectors for the 11th Five Year Plan here yesterday said priority would also be given to develop infrastructure by establishing new health institutions in rural areas, decentralisation and delegation of powers to District Health Societies and Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Priority would also be given to adequate water supply in Harijan basties and Rajiv Gandhi Augmentation Drinking Water Programme in Mewat area.

UNI JN AK VC1415