BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Minister for Women and Child Development, Kusum Mehdle, has expressed concern over the declining gender ratio and decreasing girl population in the State and said the problem was directly linked to sex determination tests.

Addressing a State-level workshop of the district units of the Women Resource Centres at the State Academy of Administration in the State capital on Saturday, she said that maximum attendance of girls should be ensured at the anganwadi centres.

On the issue of female infanticide and foeticide, Ms. Mehdle said the district units of the women's resource centres, women and child development department officials, and the anganwadi workers should carry to the people the message against foeticide and build awareness in this direction. She said that the society should also play its role in protecting the girl child. Social change is necessary and is in the larger interest of women.

Ms. Mehdle said that women should be respected and empowered as this has always been our tradition and went advised that the police should also play its role when it comes to the activities of the district women's resource centres.

Speaking on this occasion, Manohar Agnani threw light on the problem of decreasing gender ratio in Madhya Pradesh and said that this was less in comparison with the national average. This is a matter of serious concern, Dr. Agnani pointed out. On the basis of the 2001 census, he said, against the national gender ratio of 933 the figure for Madhya Pradesh was 919. The gender ratio in 14 Madhya Pradesh districts was less than 900, he added.

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