Fight against sex-selective abortions in Haryana: Treat mission as personal priority, says addl chief secy Sudhir Rajpal
In a yet another push to combat sex-selective abortions and improve the sex ratio in Haryana, additional chief secretary (ACS-health) Sudhir Rajpal on Wednesday issued a set of directives to all deputy commissioners (DCs), urging them to treat the fight against female foeticide as a personal priority.
Chairing a state-wide meeting with all DCs, the ACS (Health) Rajpal reviewed the government's efforts under the flagship 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign, stressing the need to intensify measures to curb female foeticide. Rajpal emphasised that the campaign against illegal gender detection and the unlawful distribution of medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits must be given top priority by the health department and district administrations.
'Treat this mission as a personal priority,' the ACS (Health) asked the DCs, adding that consistent, grassroots-level action is critical to achieving long-term results related to save the girl child programme.
As part of this initiative, each district will set up a standing committee led by the DC, with the chief medical officer (CMO) serving as the member secretary. This committee will hold weekly meetings to monitor and enforce action plans, including inspections of MTP and ultrasound centres, tracking the illegal sale of MTP kits, and formulating strategies to stop sex determination practices.
'The issue of illegal abortions is a deep-rooted societal challenge that requires a whole-of-government approach, along with active community participation,' Rajpal said, directing DCs to ensure there is no illegal sale of MTP kits in their jurisdictions.
Calling for regular inspections and strict enforcement, Rajpal said: 'Any doctor found engaging in sex-selective practices will face strict disciplinary action, including cancellation of their licence by the Haryana Medical Council.'
The government has also decided that all abortions beyond 12 weeks must be thoroughly investigated—particularly when the couple already has one or more daughters. Civil surgeons will lead these investigations and closely monitor all suspicious MTP cases to ensure appropriate legal action is taken.
To provide personalised support, every pregnant woman who already has one or more daughters will be assigned an ASHA or Anganwadi Worker (AWW) as a 'SAHELI' (companion) to counsel and monitor the pregnancy. Civil Surgeons will maintain records of these women and their assigned SAHELIs. In the event of an abortion, the concerned ASHA or AWW will be held accountable.
The senior medical officer in charge of each community health centre (CHC) will serve as the nodal officer for all activities related to sex ratio improvement.
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