Advisory Committee Constituted under Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, of North District in a meeting held on February 4 has decided to cancel the licences of USG (Ultrasonography) machinery lying in hospitals which are shutdown in North Goa District.

According to a statement on February 5, to ensure USG Machinery is not been misused for female sex detection the Committee decided to issue notices to such hospitals for non-compliance of instructions issued by the Committee and also to initiate further proceedings.

Committee discussed that Correspondences made by the Committee could not reach to concerned authorities of the hospitals as they were found closed. Additional Collector Vikas S N Gaunekar, who chaired the meeting, stressed upon extra efforts which need to be put in spreading awareness regarding PC-PNDT Act. The meeting also moved to conduct surprise visits in the units of border areas of North Goa to ensure no female sex detection was done.

Besides matter regarding applications for addition of Operators, Deletion of Operator, Installation and shifting of USG machine was discussed. Member Secretary Dr Mahendra Ghanekar, Member, Dr A G K Dhakankar, and Assistant Public Prosecutor Archana Bhobe were present in the meeting.