Patna, Jan. 23: Years after determination of sex of foetus was banned in the country, unscrupulous doctors in Bihar are continuing with the illegal practice in gross violation of the existing laws.

Emphasising on punishments given to doctors who conduct ultrasound procedures on willing patients, Nav Jeewan Kalyan Samiti, an NGO, organised a state-level workshop, Bitiya Bachao Andolan, today.

Eminent personalities, including health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, (Retd) Justice Rajendra Prasad, member, human rights commission, gynaecologists Kiran Sharan and Shanti Rai and Anand Diwedi, secretary, Nav Jeevan Kalyan Samiti.

Addressing the seminar, Dr Sharan said: “Who is to be blamed first, the couples going for ultrasound or the doctors? But being a doctor, I assert that without the help of a doctor, no one can commit such a heinous crime in society. Doctors have taken it as an instrument to mint money. Laws must be implemented more strictly.”

To put a stop on female foeticide, education must be promoted. But the knowledge should not be bound to textbooks. Rather, the idea of treating the girl child on a par with boy child must be propagated.”

She said responsibilities do not cease by preventing female foeticide, rather it must be ensured that she gets equal treatment from everybody at home.

“The doctors, who practise ultrasound, would be observed and the present government would certainly try to catch them red-handed”. He also spoke of a study which says that around 1.5 crore girls in India have been killed before birth. He also said the initiative for conducting ultrasound on a pregnant woman was started to determine physical deformities in the foetus, but now parents have changed it for knowing the sex status of the foetus, which is not at all a good sign for a developing nation.”

He also questioned the mothers who give their approval for this kind of practice and said not only the boy, the girl child has an equal right of seeing the world.

Retired Justice Rajendra Prasad (member, human rights commission) said: “Indeed, the society has double standards in its approach towards the girl and the boy child. The society wants the doctors make money from this illegal practice and also force the mothers yearn for male child in the family. But nowadays even educated women are giving consent to this illegal practice.”

Anand Diwedi, the NGO secretary, said they will hold street plays and seminars to protest female foeticide under Bitiya Bachao Abhiyan.