48 Sirsa villages to boycott families going for sex test

KALUWANA SARPANCH GEETA RANI, 47 OTHER VILLAGE HEADS IN DABWALI BLOCK SUBMIT RESOLUTION TO DC

HISAR: To check female foeticide, 48 village panchayats in Dabwali block of Sirsa have decided to socially boycott people found going for sex determination tests.

In a one-page resolution submitted to deputy commissioner (DC) Sharandeep Kaur Brar, the village sarpanches, 23 of whom are women, have also stated they will report such cases to police.

“The initiative is the brainchild of Kaluwana sarpanch Geeta Rani,” said Vrashali Khandelwal, a member of the good governance committee. Geeta along with her village residents submitted the resolution to the DC on July 16, following which other village sarpanches came forward as well, said Khandelwal. information about sex tests and female foeticide.

Geeta Rani said everyone in the village has been told to report pregnancy cases to the panchayat. “In case there is any kind of illegal activity, we will be able to unearth it,” she said.

‘WILL HELP IMPROVE SEX RATIO’

“When I took oath as sarpanch, the sex ratio in Kaluwana village was 750. Now, it is 813, and my target is to cross 1,000,” said Geeta.

Other villages that have joined Geeta’s campaign include Lakhuwana, Goriwala, Bharukhera, Alikan, Bikhikhera, Chakjalu and Jogewala. Sex ratio in the district stands at 935 as per the latest figures.

Appreciating the initiative, DC Sharandeep Kaur Brar said: “This step is crucial as Dabwali block shares its border with Rajasthan and Punjab. Female foeticide is a major problem in this region.”