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Sex determination in J&K: State rewards whistle blower

November 11, 2011 21:39 IST

State health minister had recently announced incentives for those providing information about sex determination to curb female feticide. Mukhtar Ahmad reports.

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday rewarded 'a whistle blower who had not only identified a culprit involved in sex determination, but had also nabbed her'.

The state government has banned sex determination tests in the state, following the extremely low female sex ratio as was revealed by the 2011 census.

Authorities have already sealed dozens of unregistered ultrasound clinics in the state, which were reportedly involved in sex determinations.

An official statement said that the state health minister, Sham Lal Sharma, on Friday handed over a cheque of Rs 25,000 to the person who 'not only provided information about this crime, but also nabbed the culprit red handed while conducting the sex determination test'.

Sharma had recently announced the incentives for those providing information about the sex determination to curb female feticide in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Today he gave away a cash prize to station house officer, R S Pura, Paramjeet Singh for nabbing Dr Monika Bhagat red-handed while conducting the sex determination in a private clinic recently. The prize was given in the presence of senior officers of the health department," the statement said.

The minister said that 'a message will go in the public and more people will come forward to provide information and every whistle blower will be given cash prize of Rs 25,000 and his name would be kept secret'. He appealed to the people to share such information with the competent authority to stop this crime.

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar