Concerned over the growing incidence of female infanticide in state's Marathwada region and Beed district in particular, the Maharashtra government has convened a meeting on May 20 of all concerned officials in Beed to discuss crackdown on irregular activities.

Beed has the lowest male-female sex ratio in the age group of 0-6 years (801 as against 1000 male children) as per the 2011 census.

Maharashtra's sex ratio in the age group of 0-6 years is 883 girls as against 1000 boys.

"Child ratio has decreased by 30 points from 2001. The maximum decline is in Beed district (93 points) and minimum decline is in Gadchiroli is by 10 points. The child sex ratio has seen meagre increase in Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli and Chandrapur," health minister Suresh Shetty said.

Talking to PTI, Shetty said he has convened a meeting of district collectors of all the eight districts in Marathwada, 2 IGs, divisional commissioners, civil surgeons, Medical officers of municipal corporations to discuss the present situation in the region and how effective implementation of existing laws can be taken to stop female infanticide.

"Regular inspection of sonography centres and other illegal activities where the sex of the unborn child is informed to the parents can be done under the leadership of the district collectors. Efficient handling of the issue by district collectors in Nanded, Sangli and Kolhapur have yielded good results," Shetty said.

According to him, district collectors in these three districts have taken swift action when they come to know of illegal activities taking place.

He said so far 148 cases have been filed in the court regarding violations of the Pre Conception and pre natal diagnostic techniques (prohibition of sex selection) act of 1994.