The Hindu : National : Rs. 5 lakh reward

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Rs. 5 lakh reward

Special Correspondent

For villages that excel in checking female foeticide, drug de-addiction

Legislative, executive and judicial efforts not enough: Hooda
“Active participation, cooperation of society needed”

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday announced a reward of Rs.5 lakh for the village that would excel in checking female foeticide and drug de-addiction at the State level and Rs.1 lakh at the district level.

Addressing a legal literacy seminar on “Eradication of female foeticide and drug de-addiction” organised by the Haryana State Legal Services Authority at Sirsa, Mr. Hooda said that legislative, executive and judicial efforts were not enough to eradicate female foeticide and drug de-addiction.

He asserted that these social evils could be nipped in the bud with active participation and cooperation of every section of society by making it a mass movement.

Emphasising the need for effective implementation of the Preconception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994, Mr. Hooda said the State Government had implemented it in letter in and spirit.

The Government had launched several welfare schemes like Ladli, Indira Gandhi Kanya Shagun Yojana, two per cent rebate on stamp duty in property matters, 10 paisa per unit exemption in electricity bills and 25 per cent reservation in technical institutions for the welfare of women, he pointed out. Education had also been given utmost priority, he added.

While admitting that Sirsa district, surrounded by Rajasthan and Punjab, was worst affected by the problem of drug addiction, he called upon all social organisations to help in eradicating these social evils.

The Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and Patron-in-Chief of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Justice Vijender Jain, said that female foeticide was a major sin of the universe. It was a harsh reality that even after enactment and implementation of laws, human attitude towards solving such social evils had not fully changed so far, he lamented.

Justice Jain asserted that the concept of woman empowerment could not be successful without eradication of female foeticide.

Haryana Health Secretary Navraj Sandhu pointed out that the State had made about 6,000 inspections, seized about 100 ultra sound machines and suspended 165 licences for effective implementation of PC and PNDT Act, 1994.

Sirsa Deputy Commissioner V. Umashankar said with the efforts of the district administration and 29 NGOs, 178 villages had been adopted to eradicate female foeticide and drug de-addiction.

The Executive Chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice R.S. Madan and Justice Nawab Singh along with many other senior officers were among those present.

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