The Maharashtra Government is mulling to put in place stringent provisions to prevent female foeticide whereby it would be difficult for the accused to get bail.
“Currently it is a non-bailable offence, however due to several reasons, including non-enforcement of relevant sections, the culprits get bail from the court and they continue with their practice,” said Varsha Gaikwad, state Minister for Women and Child Welfare.
What is being suggested by Gaikwad’s Ministry is akin to the stringent provisions in the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in which it is very difficult for the accused persons to get bail.
The proposal by the state government, if amended by the Union Government, would make Pre-conception & Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT), the most feared provision of law. The proposal by the Women and Child Welfare Department comes in the wake of increasing number of female foetuses being dumped in various parts of the state.
It may be noted that Beed district in Marathwada region is notorious for female foeticide as it has one of the worst sex ratios in the country. The government has stepped up its efforts to curb over-the-counter sales of drugs that trigger medical termination of pregnancies (MTP). Though these drugs come under the scheduled category and could be dispensed only through medical prescription, the sale and use of these drugs had been rampant. For instance at Beed, the medical shop near the clinic run by Dr Sudam Munde and his wife Dr Saraswati Munde was found to be selling MTP drugs to the tune of `7.3 lakh per month.
