Jaipur:
The NDA government's flagship programme 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', initially launched in 100 districts, will now be extended to 61 more districts owing to its success, Union minster Maneka Gandhi said today.
Addressing the All India Regional Editors Conference in Jaipur, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development said the programme has delivered encouraging results, therefore 61 additional districts will be covered under the initiative.
"Beti Padhao Beti Bacho was the idea of the Prime Minister and it has delivered good results. Girls are now being born and it is a good sign. Now, the government will add 61 more districts in this programme," she said.
The programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sonipat in Haryana last year, seeks to improve the declining trend of Child Sex Ratio in selected districts from the current level of 918 by preventing gender-biased sex selection and ensuring "survival, protection and education" of the girl child.
"It is a societal change and state governments like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan are taking serious steps to improve the condition of girl children and create opportunities for them," Maneka Gandhi said.
On being asked about the illegal practice of sex determination at sonography centres, the minister noted rather sex determination tests should be made compulsory to keep a track on the well-being of the child.
"Once it is registered that the child is girl or boy, it will be easy to monitor the baby. This is a different way to look at. I have just put this idea, which is being discussed though there is no conclusion on it yet," she said.
Talking about the different ways to ensure women safety, she said in the next two months, mobile phone handsets will have panic buttons.
"The women in distress just have to press a finger on the panic button and she will get help," Ms Gandhi said.
The minister also expressed concern on smuggling of camels to neighbouring states like Haryana for slaughtering and said certain police officers were involved in the act that needed the attention of both states' governments.
Underlining the programmes undertaken by her ministry, Ms Gandhi said special police volunteers will be appointed in every village for assisting women in distress.
The two-day conference, that began today, is being organised by Press Information Bureau of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.