CHANDIGARH, June 12 -- Following a state-wide crackdown on the sale of abortion pills--both legal and illegal--in the last four months, there has been a dramatic fall in the demand for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits across Haryana, official data shows. From a peak of 40,763 MTP kits supplied by 32 wholesalers in the first fortnight of March, across 22 districts to retail medical shops and the certified MTP centres, the figures have nosedived to near-zero in at least 19 districts by early June, according to the official data compiled by the state Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). By the last week of May and early June, the sale of kits in most districts -including Sonepat, Rewari, Kurukshetra, Hisar and Jind - had dwindled to zero, reflecting a clear impact of regulatory action. The data shows that 30,877 MTP kits were sold by the wholesalers in the second fortnight of March, and it came down to 25,721 between April 1 and April 15. Of the total 1,02,752 MTP kits sold between March 1 and June 9, as many as 87,770 MTP kits were sold by two Sonepat based wholesalers. While 10 districts have one each wholesaler, Ambala and Faridabad district have five each wholesalers of MTP Kits, followed by four in Panchkula and three each in Gurugram and Rohtak. This crackdown, spearheaded by additional chief secretary (health) Sudhir Rajpal, is a part of a broader strategy to prevent sex-selective abortions through coordinated monitoring. After Rajpal set up the State Task Force (STF) on February 6 and began cracking the whip to improve Haryana's sex ratio at birth (SRB) under the flagship Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign, authorities have also seized about 8,800 MTP kits being sold illegally, registered over 50 FIRs, including at least 18 against online sellers of the MTP kits. According to Haryana state drug controller Manmohan Taneja, the FDA's data analysis shows "no recorded sales of MTP kits in several key periods after mid-May", with the exception of a few pockets such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Ambala and Yamunanagar, which still reported some activity, though far reduced. "The FDA has directed the wholesalers not to sell MTP kits to medical shops even as they can directly supply the kits to registered MTP centres. Ever since the crackdown began, we have been tracking the sale of MTP kits from wholesale suppliers to MTP centers and the patients to whom it was given. Now every MTP kit sold is being tracked up to the patient who was prescribed the medicine by the MTP center," said Taneja. As per the FDA data, between February 11 and June 9, a total of 27 medical shops were sealed across the state for selling MTP kits illegally. In addition, FIRs were registered against 29 individuals and establishments for violations under the MTP Act and related laws. These included medical stores, nursing homes, and unregistered practitioners operating without authorisation in districts such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Panipat, Palwal and Rohtak. The accused were booked under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the MTP Act, along with provisions of the Essential Commodities Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, where applicable. The violations under the MTP Act are punishable with rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to seven years. These offences are cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable. FDA officials said the crackdown was aimed at curbing the illegal distribution and misuse of abortion pills, particularly in areas where unregulated sales were rampant. "We have acted swiftly against violators and will continue our surveillance to ensure that MTP kits are sold only through authorised channels and with valid prescriptions," an FDA officer said. The steep fall in sales figures is being viewed as a success by the state government in regulating access to abortion drugs, though public health experts have cautioned that legitimate access for women in need must not be hampered in the process....