CM expresses concern over female foeticide

Shimla, Mar 12 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today expressed concern over female foeticide in the state and said steps initiated by the state government have been successful in arresting a sharp decline in the sex ratio.

Replying to a question by Rahgu Raj (Cong) during question hour in the Assembly here, he admitted that female foeticide was a cause for concern but said effective steps have been initiated to check decline in girl population in the state.

Mr Singh said his government was maintaining a strict vigil over 50 government and 141 private registered ultrasonography clinics to prevent female foeticide in Himachal.

The huge gap between boy and girl population in the state had come down after registering a sharp decline a few years ago, he said.

He said government alone would not be able to effectively deal with the problem and public support was essential to prevent female foeticide.

Replying to a supplementary by Mahinder Singh (BJP) that an NGO had claimed in its report, published in a Hindi daily, that six private clinics in Rampur area of Shimla were involved in it, he said the NGO should have registered a case against them.

However, the Chief Minister assured the House that the government would order an inquiry on the basis of the news reports and the guilty would not be spared.

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