The Haryana government claimed Monday that there was a minor improvement in the child sex ratio in the state, which had earlier recorded the lowest figure in the country.
Latest reports suggested that the sex ratio in the 0-6 years age group was now at 822 females per thousand males, director general of health services Sushma Madan said.In the census of 2001, Haryana had recorded an abysmally low ratio of 819, which placed it at the bottom of all states on the child sex ratio parameter.
Madan said that the improvement could be due to the strengthening of system of the birth and death registration at primary health centres instead of the earlier procedure of doing it at police stations.
Moreover, civil surgeons were directed to keep a watch on the sex ratio in their districts so that a decline, if any, could be curbed.
Panchkula district had recorded 892 females per 1,000 males, which was the highest figure in all 19 districts in the state, Madan said.
The sex ratio in Sonepat district, which recorded the lowest figure of 706 females per 1,000 males, went up to 772 in June.
In recent years, the low sex ratio of the state has led to purchase of brides from other states for Haryana men.
There were instances of men remaining unmarried at advanced age due to unavailability of girls of marriageable age in sufficient numbers.
--IANS
