Seventy-nine ultrasound machines have been sealed in the past one year in different districts after officials were found violating norms of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994.

N.K. Mishra, programme officer, PC & PNDT cell, State Health Society, Bihar, said this on Thursday at a workshop organised by non-government organisation (NGO) Bhoomika Vihar.

The programme’s theme was the effective implementation of the legislation, which restricts sex determination techniques.

Mishra said: “The state government is trying its best to implement the PC & PNDT Act. Monitoring committees have been set up in the districts to keep tabs on violation of the PC & PNDT Act. Advisory committees have also been formed to decide on the course of action needed to implement it.”

He, however, stressed on the responsibility of the people to work towards containing sex detection practices in and around their family and not just up to the state government or the NGOs.

Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who was also present at the workshop, said: “People have to change their mindset about the girl child. Women are in no way inferior to their male counterparts. Awareness drives have to be launched to make people aware of the rights of girl children.”