Hyderabad District Collector Anudeep Durishetty addressing officials during a review meeting of the District Appropriate Authority Committee under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act in Hyderabad on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Hyderabad District Collector Anudeep Durishetty has issued a stern warning that strict legal action will be taken against ultrasound scanning centres found conducting illegal gender determination tests.

Addressing officials during a review meeting of the District Appropriate Authority Committee under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, the Collector highlighted the need for strict adherence to the law.

The Collector also directed officials to intensify surveillance, instructing the formation of 15 teams to monitor the operations of scanning centres across the district. He advocated for more frequent decoy operations to catch violators and stressed the importance of documenting every pregnant woman’s scan and submitting the data online on the same day.

“Only qualified doctors must conduct scans using approved equipment, and any changes in staffing, records, or machinery should be immediately reported to the District Medical and Health Officer,” he said. Violations will result in criminal cases and hefty fines, he said.

Recent inspections have already led to action. An unauthorised scanning machine was seized from New Life Hospital in Secunderabad, and a case was registeredt. Similarly, Vivek Hospital in Saidabad was fined ₹2 lakh for operating two unregistered machines. In total, 26 centres were fined ₹50,000 each for various rule violations, with the warning that repeat offences would lead to registration cancellations, said a release.

To strengthen public involvement, citizens have been urged to report any violations or suspicions related to gender determination through the toll-free number 1800-599-3366.