National shame: Madhya Pradesh tops in female foeticide

BHOPAL: On October 6, 2011, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had sought the blessings at Peetambara Peeth at Ratangarh in Datia and launched the much-hyped 'Beti Bachao Abhiyan' all over the state with a pledge to protect girl child. Three years later, after spending crores of rupees in posters, banners and advertisements, Madhya Pradesh has topped the country in incidents of foeticide in year 2013 as per the national crime records bureau (NCRB).Even a Beti Bachao Rath was launched to propagate the scheme.
Instead of the number of cases going down, the incidents of female foeticide have doubled between 2011 — when the Beti Bachao Abiyaan was launched — and 2013. NCRB figures show that from 38 cases in 2011 and 64 cases in 2012, the number of cases has increased to 79 in 2013.
A total of 217 cases of female foeticide were reported in the country. The state is lagging far behind even from the states like Haryana and Rajasthan which were infamous for foeticide. The states have reported 21 and 34 cases, respectively.
In a reply made to a question raised in assembly in 2012, state government had informed that around Rs15 crore was spent in just 10 months after the scheme was launched.
"A lot of money has been wasted in publicity and it has failed to provide any outcome," former Congress MLA from Dharmpuri constituency Pachilal Meda, who had raised the question in assembly, said.