Ramadoss has no time for meet on PNDT Act

Despite nearly 50 dead female foetuses found dumped in wells near a Patiala nursing home this week, the health ministry has no plans to hold its scheduled meeting of the central supervisory board on the Pre-Natal Sex Determination Technology (PNDT) Act this month.

The board is supposed to monitor and enforce the implementation of the PNDT Act, which bans sex selection and female foeticide.

The meeting scheduled for this month was to reconstitute the board that had been found to be rather passive in the face of hundreds of doctors across the country being caught using ultrasound machines for expensive sex determination tests.

Sources said Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss' face-off with the AIIMS director might be blamed for his neglect of issues like violation of the PNDT Act by doctors.

Ramadoss has fresh trouble now with the Election Commission examining a complaint challenging his right to continue as minister while holding an office of profit as president of the institute body of AIIMS.

The new supervisory board was expected to include Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chaudhury and CPM politburo member Brinda Karat, both known for their aggressive stand against sex determination tests, carried out by doctors in the mushrooming ultrasound centres all over the country.

Ramadoss' trouble began with a long-drawn medical students' agitation protesting against quota in higher education. He was then drawn into a court battle with the AIIMS director who he tried to dismiss.

He has fresh trouble now with the Election Commission examining a complaint challenging his right to continue as minister while holding an office of profit as president of the institute body of AIIMS.

The new board was expected to include Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chaudhury and CPM politburo member Brinda Karat, both known for their aggressive and vocal stand against sex determination tests carried out by doctors in the mushrooming ultrasound centres all over the country.

Another suggestion that was expected to be carried forward by the new board was the need to make a non-medical person the district nodal authority for implementing the PNDT Act, taking it away from the district medical officer.

The board had been forced to meet in June after several women's groups and activists, led by Karat, staged agitations and met the health minister seeking immediate action against the over 100 doctors who had been caught on camera violating the PNDT Act which bans ultra sound scanning for sex determination.

The minister was forced to admit failure on his part in Parliament about the continuing violation of PNDT Act.

For the first time the meeting had been co chaired by Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chaudhury along with Chairman Ramadoss.

Brinda Karat, who had been a special invitee at the June meeting, said, "The first meeting took place after the minister gave an assurance in Parliament. I will raise it in the House again."