New policy soon to stop female feticide in Karnataka

C Belagavi: Admitting that existing laws to prevent female feticide in Karnataka are not being implemented effectively, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has said the state will soon enact a law to prevent female foeticide. A new policy will be made.

He was responding to a call for attention presented by MLCs from the ruling parties and the opposition on the rising number of cases of female feticide in Karnataka in the Council on Tuesday.

Dinesh expressed concern and concern over the recent cases of female feticide reported in Mandya district, and described the aspects proposed to be included in the new policy.

The minister said that cooperation with the police is necessary, in view of this the state government will form a working group committee at the state level in which a police officer of ASP or DYSP rank will be constituted. “Since it is a punishable offence, it requires police involvement to collect evidence against the criminals, mainly by arresting them hand-to-hand.

For this, it is necessary to plan the operation year after year, which is possible only with the participation of the police”, he said.

The minister said a similar law exists in Tamil Nadu, where the police and health departments also participate. Acknowledging that female feticide is considered not only a crime but also a social problem, he said that people should be widely made aware even at the school level about the need to save girls.

“It is very regrettable that society considers girls as a burden, hence, many couples decide to abort girls despite the fact that testing to determine gender is prohibited. Therefore, it is important to educate the population about the importance of girls to maintain the ratio between men and women in the society”, Dinesh said.