Mandi, Oct 15 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said the sex ratio in border areas of the state was low and such areas should be monitored.

"The sex ratio in border areas is quite less and such areas needs to be monitored which would be done effectively by the women groups," he said at a function here to mark International Rural Women Day.

A total of 588 'mahila mandals' or women groups of Mandi district under the Rural Women Sanitation Programme participated.

Lauding the efforts of the district administration, the chief minister appreciated the initiative of Meri Laadli programme conceptualised by the administration to check the growing disparity in sex ratio in the district.

The programme is aimed at saving the girl child and to bring behavioural change in the mindset of the society towards the girl child.

The chief minister hoped that the approach of Meri Laadli would bring a more positive thinking of about the notion of baby girl.

"Women can bring revolution in society and I hope that a day would come when there won't be any illegal abortion and the mindset regarding preference of male child would be changed," he added.

Health Minister Kaul Singh said the child sex ratio was far better in the state.

Currently, the state has sex ratio of 916 females per 1,000 males.

He said the government is honouring those panchayats with an amount of Rs.50,000 which have better sex ratio.