Health Department to seek police cells in all districts to curb PNDT violations

In a decisive move to strengthen enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act and check the declining sex ratio, the Haryana Health Department will soon write to the Director General of Police (DGP) to seek dedicated police cells in every district headed by DSP-rank officers. These special units will be trained to conduct raids, file FIRs, and send decoy customers to expose illegal sex determination and female foeticide networks.

Crackdown on female foeticide

The special units led by DSP-level officers will be trained to conduct raids, file FIRs, and send decoys to expose illegal sex determination and female foeticide networks.

The decision was taken during a State Task Force (STF) meeting chaired by Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary (Health). While a police department representative attended the meeting, health officials stressed the need for specialised and consistent support during operations.

“The idea is to have a team which can be specifically trained to carry out the raids. At present, we rely on the district police to provide support whenever we go for the raids. Since the teams keep changing, it becomes a bit of a challenge,” said a senior official.

To increase vigilance, random verification of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) cases will be conducted. Ultrasound has now been made mandatory at 12 weeks for any MTP. Reports justifying MTPs will first be verified at the district level and then randomly rechecked by the headquarters.

Cracking down on unregulated fertility services, the department will close all unregistered IVF centres. As many as 18 such centres have already been identified. Utility services — electricity, water, and municipal services — will be snapped in such cases in collaboration with Urban Local Bodies, Power, and Public Health Departments.

The STF also reviewed ‘suspicious’ MTP cases from 27 centres. Final reports from district committees are expected soon. Meanwhile, data on village-level sex ratio over the past five years will be compiled to identify consistent low-performing areas.

Officials have sent notices to 12 Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) asking them to explain the low sex ratio in their jurisdictions. “We have asked for data for five years since there can be fluctuation in the short-term data,” a source said. The NHM Managing Director will personally hear the SMOs, and the Director, Prosecution has also joined the Task Force for coordinated legal action.

Haryana Tribune