Warning against sex determination
Salem:A meeting on monitoring the functioning of scan centres in progress in Salem on Thursday.Salem District Collector N. Mathivanan has asked representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and members of Self-Help Groups (SHG) to provide details to the district administration about scan centres that are functioning discreetly in villages.Presiding over a review meeting on the functioning of scan centres here on Thursday he said that the administration had, in fact, received secret information about certain scan centres that were indulging in the illegal activity of disclosing the sex of the foetus, which directly led the obnoxious practice of female foeticide. Hence, such centres, if any, should be brought to the notice of the government for quick action, he added.The Collector said that 176 scan centres were functioning in the district as on date and licenses had been issued for 17 Primary Health Centres to operate scan centres for the benefit of the people. He asked the District Coordination Committee members to keep a close watch on these centres and verify the records they maintained.He warned that the licenses of the centres that were violating the norms would be facing severe action. Those who run such centres should seek fresh licenses whenever the scan centres were changing their names and venues.Otherwise their licenses would be cancelled, he said and asked the members to closely monitor whether the centres were resorting to the disclosure of foetus.The Collector said that the administration had cancelled the licenses of two centres in the district for indulging in various irregularities. He instructed officials from the Health Department to submit periodical reports to him on the functioning of these centres.Those who participated in the meeting included Joint Director of Health Dr. S. Janaki, Deputy Directors Dr. Nirmelson and Dr. Gnanasekaran, Project Officer, Integrated Child Development, Saraswathy.Officials from Attur, Edapadi, Yercaud and Mettur took part in the meeting.
