Haryana doubles incentive for sex determination test informers

The Haryana government on Tuesday announced that informers of illegal sex determination tests would be paid a cash reward of Rs.1 lakh - double the enhanced reward announced by the previous government in July last year.

"The state government has decided to give Rs.1 lakh cash award to the informers providing vital information about anyone involved in this heinous practice," state Health Minister Anil Vij said here.

Haryana has a skewed sex ratio of about 875 girls to 1,000 boys and figures at the bottom among all states in sex ratio (as per Census 2011).

The then Congress government had, in July last year, enhanced the reward to informers from Rs.20,000 to Rs.50,000 and the Bharatiya Janata Party government has enhanced it further.

Vij said that provision of Rs 25 lakh token money has been provided under annual plan 2015-16 for this purpose. The reward is given to informers for enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act.

He said that the step has been taken to completely put an end to female foeticide, which has led to adverse sex-ratio in state. - IANS