Women SHGs told to fight against female foeticide

Puducherry, Nov 4 (UNI) Central Social Welfare Board Chairperson Rajani Patil today called on women Self Help Groups to shoulder the responsibility of preventing female foeticide, which was rampant in the country.

Participating in a seminar on 'Female Foeticide' organised by Social Welfare Board here, Ms Patil said female foeticide was much less in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry compared to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

Though a legislation was enacted to ban the sex determination test, doctors in rural areas used to reveal the sex of the child to the pregnant woman, she added.

Inaugurating the seminar, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy stressed the need to prevent female foeticide.

He said the administration would take all steps to check female foeticide here.

Speaking on the occasion, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy said the administration would start the 'cradle baby scheme' here from December 9 this year.

He said registration of the doctor would be cancelled if he conducts sex determination test.

On functioning of NGOs, he said 75 per cent of the NGOs here were not functioning properly and they were given a time of three months to correct themselves.

An inspection would be done in December and if they were found not in order, their licence would be cancelled, he added.

UNI