Chandigarh, April 16: To tighten enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, the Haryana health department will request the state police to set up dedicated police cells in every district, headed by a DSP-rank officer, officials said Tuesday.
The decision, taken at a meeting of the State Task Force (STF) against female foeticide, aims to streamline action against violators and facilitate prompt FIRs and raids.
Currently dependent on district police for such operations, the health department said dedicated police teams would significantly enhance enforcement.
The department also mandated 12-week ultrasounds for all medical terminations of pregnancy (MTP) and will begin random verification of MTP cases.
All non-registered IVF centres have been ordered shut, and clinics operating in areas with skewed sex ratios will be investigated and closed if found in violation.
Village-level sex ratio data from the past five years will be compiled to pinpoint consistently low-performing areas.
Twelve senior medical officers from community health centres in districts including Rewari, Hisar, and Karnal have received show-cause notices. They will be charge-sheeted if responses are unsatisfactory, said NHM Director and STF convenor Virender Yadav.
The PNDT nodal officer of Hisar has been suspended, while officials from the five lowest-performing districts—Charkhi Dadri, Rewari, Rohtak, Gurugram, and Faridabad—have been replaced.
In 2024, Haryana’s sex ratio at birth fell to 910 girls per 1,000 boys, compared to 916 in 2023.
