Beti Bachao Abhiyan novel initiative

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Mr Chouhan to tackle declining sex ratio

By Muslim Saleem

Bhopal, November 5, 2011

Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the only Chief Minister in the country, who keeps thinking about novel ways to tackle various social ills and launching schemes after schemes for removing them. Beti Bachao Abhiyan is latest in the series, reports SMS News & Features.

The skewed sex ratio in several districts of Madhya Pradesh prompted ruling BJP government headed by Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh  Chouhan to launch the ‘Beti Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save the Girl Child campaign) to raise awareness and address this nagging issue which may pose social and demographic problems in the state.

The districts where the sex ratio is alarmingly declining include: Bhind-838; Morena-839; Gwalior-862; Datia-875; Shivpuri-877; Chhattarpur-884; Sagar-896, Vidisha-897; Raisen- 899; Ashoknagar-900; Tikamgarh-901; Sheopur-902; Panna-907; Guna-910; Bhopal-911 and Hoshangabad-912, official sources said.

The position in the remaining districts is also not very encouraging. Hence, State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan not only launched this drive from Datia district recently but also set the theme of the State’s Foundation Day programme on the grave issue.

Besides dipping sex ratio, the child sex ratio (number of girls in the age group of 0-6 per 1000 male child) is also declining in the state, sources said.

The child sex ratio was 967 in the year 1961, while in the year 2011 it became 912 in Madhya Pradesh. The healthy child sex ratio at the time of birth should be 952 or more, experts said.

Except for tribal district of Dindori, where the child sex ratio stands at 1006 per 1000 males, the situation is highly imbalanced elsewhere and urgent steps are needed to arrest the decline, which may lead to major social problems in the near future, they said.

Yet another novel move by Chief Minister Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the direction of tiding over the problem of declining sex ratio was to focus Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day function on the theme of ‘daughter’.

The grand function was held on November 1 at the state capital apart from functions at the local levels in entire Madhya Pradesh. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chouhan said that discrimination between sons and daughters will not be tolerated. Daughters are boon and not burden. The government is chalking out a scheme for taking care of parents who have only daughters. Chief Minister Chouhan said that the government is cooperating in all the responsibilities of daughters in the state including education, marriage etc. Girl students are provided free books and uniforms and those going to other villages for studies are given free bicycles. Despite this, discrimination is made between sons and daughters. More sons are born in comparison to daughters. This discrimination is more visible in urban areas than rural areas, educated class than literate classes and rich people than poor.

Both veteran singer Asha Bhosle and yesteryear Dream Girl Hema Malini, who were in the city for the State Day celebrations appealed to the masses to save the girl child by highlighting their own success stories.