CM rewards Gram Panchayats with best female ratio

Shimla, Aug 11 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today honoured and rewarded 12 heads of gram panchayat, one from each district, for having best female ratio during the year 2005.

The Pradhans were honoured with citation and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh each, as an incentive to improve the female sex ratio to bring the sex ratio of male and female equivalent, at the first state-level prize distribution function organised by the Department of Health and Family Welfare at Parimahal here today.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the declining female sex ratio in the border districts of the state was a matter of concern and needed to be given special attention.

He said that the districts of Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur had 837, 839, 864 and 884 female sex ratio respectively in the age group of 0 to 6 years of age against 1,000 male which was the lowest in the state.

Mr Singh said that to check the female foeticide, legal provisions had been made to punish the guilty with fine and imprisonment.

He said that prenatal tests were cognizable offence and the laboratories carrying such tests were subject to seizure of its machinery and equipments and repeated offence had the provision of three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 and repetitions punishable with 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000.

UNI