National   

Deadlock over Bill on female foeticide continues

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Nov. 25. The deadlock over the Bill to strengthen the legislation on female foeticide continued, as the special meeting of MPs held here today failed to resolve the differences among them over some of its provisions.

After about an hour of discussion, the meeting, presided over by the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Najma Heptulla, decided to meet once again.

The main objection to the Bill is the provision which requires mandatory registration of all ultrasound clinics, irrespective of whether they were used for diagnosis for gynaecological purposes or for other purposes such as kidney and liver disorders.

As a corollary to this provision, the Bill also requires that manufacturers of ultrasound equipment should sell their products only to the registered clinics.

In addition, the clinics are required to maintain detailed records of the tests conducted by them. The Bill also provides for a regular monitoring of all clinics.

Taking up cudgels on behalf of the clinics that were into diagnosis for non-gynaecological purposes, some MPs have been insisting that the Bill be amended to ensure that they were not covered. Their argument was that it was the clinics which were engaged in diagnosis for gynaecological purposes that were prone to misuse their machines for determining the sex of the foetus, with a view to terminating the pregnancy if it was a female child.

Today's meeting was the second formal attempt to have a consensual approach to the problem.

Two months ago, the matter was discussed at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on empowerment of women, and representatives of the Union Health Ministry assured that the rules would be framed in such a way that there was no harassment of clinics that carried out their work honestly.

The officials of the Ministry, led by the Minister, Shatrughan Sinha, gave a similar assurance today also, but apparently, some MPs were not convinced.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: | Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Panel draft report `almost' ready
• Leaders condemn attack on temples
• CPI(M) to campaign for `strongest secular' candidate
• Suspense over Ellisbridge seat ends
• C'wealth meet calls for global effort against terrorism
• Parliament attack case judgment on Dec. 11
• Crush terrorism, says Kanchi seer
• Bank staff plan protest against privatisation
• Left asked to fight fascist forces
• Pallone for reimposition of sanctions on Pak.
• Deadlock over Bill on female foeticide continues
• Drought-resistant rice could be a boon
• SC fiat on higher pay for dt. judges
• Cong. dissidents ransack party office in Gujarat
• 'Huge investments needed for 8 p.c. growth rate'
• New railway line for J&K
• Nod for 23 oil exploration blocks
• Cauvery meet fails to resolve differences between T.N., Karnataka
• 'VHP ready to apologise to Advani'

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu