As a result of the successful implementation of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign by Haryana government, for the first time in the history of this state, the birth rate of girls has reached 918 per 1,000 boys and it is expected that the figure will reach 920, by the end of this year.

This information was given in a meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates Programme Project Director Dr Rakesh Gupta, to review the progress of various schemes with the Deputy Commissioners, through video conferencing. Projects, such as Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act, Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and CM Window, Social Media Grievance Tracker, Haryana Vision Zero, Antyodaya Saral Project and Saksham Haryana, were reviewed in the meeting.

It was informed in the meeting that in 2014, the number of girls per 1000 boys was 871, 876 in 2015, 900 in 2016 and 914 in 2017-18, whereas the number was 918, till June, 2019. Dr Gupta commended Panchkula, Hisar, Yamunanagar, Narnaul and Ambala district administrations for their better performance for saving the girls. Apart from this, he directed the officers concerned to fix the loopholes in the PNDT, MTP and POCSO Act. Dr Gupta directed the Health department and the Women and Child Development department, to further improve the sex ratio. The raid campaign should also be expedited, he suggested, adding that rapid action should be taken on receipt of any information regarding imbalance in sex ratio.

He directed the Police, Health and Women and Child Development departments to work as a team and take concrete action. He said the people involved in sex determination tests and female foeticide, should not be spared in any case. He directed to carry out special works to review the Haryana Vision Zero, so that the lives of the people could be saved by curbing road accidents. He directed the officials of Road Safety Associates and Public Works (Building and Roads) Department to follow this in a special manner. Sign boards should be installed at the accident-prone places on the road so that the drivers will drive vehicles carefully.

Reviewing the Antyodaya Saral Project, Dr Gupta said that three Antyodaya Saral Kendras and one Saral Kendras of Palwal have secured first place for better performance in the months of June-July on the schemes and services related to different departments.

Appreciating this, he directed other districts to speed up their functioning. He also directed to promptly resolve the complaints pending on the CM window and on social media. He said the main objective of Saksham Yojana is to bring qualitative improvement in the level of education in schools, so that the children can complete full syllabus properly.

He said on September 3, 2019, there will be an evaluation of the students under the Saksham Yojana, for which the District Education Officer and the District Elementary Education Officer should start preparation, so that necessary improvement could be brought in the education level of children. The level of government colleges in the state will also be raised, on the lines of schools, so that every child can get the best higher education in government colleges, he added.