CHANDIGARH,INDIA, July 30, 2006: The Haryana Government claimed on Sunday that the state’s lopsided sex ratio had improved marginally after it introduced the Ladli scheme of financial assistance for girls last year. The government claims that the sex ratio of 819 girls per 1,000 males in the 0-six years age group has now improved to 823 girls per 1,000 males, according to the 2005 statistics. Under the Ladli scheme, parents having a second girl child are given a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 (US$114) per year up to five years of the birth of the girl. The amount is invested in savings schemes and a matured amount of nearly Rs 87,000 (US$1977) would be paid to the girl when she attains 18 years of age. Buoyed by the success of the scheme, the state government has set a target of making the benefits of the scheme reach 85,000 girls in the next five years. So far, 5,642 girls have benefited under the scheme since it was introduced on August 20 2005. The scheme was introduced as one of the measures to combat selective abortion, female foeticide and check the resulting declining sex ratio in Haryana, an official spokesman said.
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