Terming female feticide as the biggest crime, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Choudhary Lal Singh, today emphasized the need for launching collective efforts against diminishing child sex ratio besides bringing about a change in the society towards girl child.The Minister, while addressing an awareness programme organized by Jan Sangharsh, an NGO in collaboration with Bharatiya College of Education, Udhampur to commemorate the National Girl Child Day here today, said that the objective of this national observance is to increase the consciousness of the people and offer new opportunities to girls in the society.Expressing concern over declining child sex ratio in the state, the Minister said the need of the hour is to keep strict check on this social crime on part of all of us as government alone cannot weed out this set system in our society. He said that it is the endeavor of present dispensation that the importance of gender equality for a progressed and prosperous society is vigorously propagated among the people through different platforms. He said that increased awareness about the importance and role of girl child is need of the hour and the government is working towards it.
Emphasizing girl education, the Minister appealed the parents and teachers as well to encourage the girls for education as this is a potent tool in liberating them from the web of ignorance and social imbalances.Chairman PCB Ravi Kesar, CCF Jammu Roshan Jaggi, Director SF Ashwani Kumar Gupta, Director FPF Aasif Mehmood and Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Niraj Kumar were present on the occasion.The students of Bhartiya College of Education threw light on the social discrimination faced by the girl child and highlighted various schemes like Ladli Beti, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao launched by the Government for the welfare of the girl child.A skit on the subject was also presented by the students on the occasion.Later, the Minister felicitated all the participants with trophies and certificates.Among others, Joint Director Planning Rakesh Jamwal, Dy DEO Sapna Kotwal, DFO Territorial, Jugal Kishore, DFO SF, Dr. Rajan Singh, DSWO Rachna Sharma, Assistant Labour Commissioner Aarti Bhardwaj and Advocate Sanjeet Bavouria also attended the programme.