Law alone cannot end female foeticide: Minister

ALLAHABAD: A workshop was organised to spread awareness against female feoticide on Tuesday. "Programmes like this one are not organised to reap political benefits. It is something connected with the welfare of the humanity," minister of state for health Anant Kumar Mishra said.
"We need to attend to the needs of real India which resides in villages and not confine ourselves to selected prosperous urban pockets," Mishra added.Highlighting the Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY), the minister said that this welfare scheme was aimed at reaching the masses.
He agreed that it is a male dominated society. "But if we can take care and respect our mother, sisters and daughters than why are we going away from taking the responsibility of the female child," he questioned. "We talk of women empowerment but still we are not able to put a check on female feoticide," he added. "The evil of female foeticide cannot be eradicated by law alone. We need a social mission to get rid of this menace," Mishra said.
"We have put in lots of efforts because of which bed occupancy in the government hospital had increased to 85 per cent and in some cases even 300 per cent," claimed the minister. Similarly, institional deliveries have increased from 1.25 lakh to around 20 lakh, he added.
"We would ensure that doctors are treated in a dignified manner," Mishra stressed. He also spoke about starting the NPA (non-practising allowance) to the government doctors.
Speaking at the workshop, Nand Gopal Gupta, minister for institutional finance and stamp said that those who are directly or indirectly associated with female feoticide should be dealt with an iron fist so that none dare to indulge in the gruesome act.
In his welcome address, district magistrate Rajeev Agarwal said that the topic is of utmost importance for not only those sitting in the hall but the entire humanity, because female feoticide is a sin. Such workshops will go a long way in spreading awareness against this inhuman and barbaric practice.
Dr Manider Ahuja presented an elaborative view of female feoticide prevalent across the country. Places like Kurukshetra and Fatehgarh are having alarming male-female ratio, explained the doctor and social activist. She showed how the male-female ratio is reaching an alarming data.
Principal secretary, health, Pradeep Shukla also spoke on the occasion.