Chandigarh, Aug 18 - Having one of the worst sex ratios in the country does not seem to bother authorities in Punjab. The Punjab State Commission for Women has noted that the state has failed to utilise central funds to combat the menace of female foeticide.

At a meeting with health and family welfare department officials here Tuesday, the commission expressed concern that in 2007-08, the department utilised only 12.7 percent of funds provided under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) for measures relating to correcting the adverse sex ratio.

In 2008-09 too, the department utilised only 33.9 percent of the NRHM funds and the remaining amount was allowed to lapse.

'This has resulted in a great loss to the general public,' the commission, headed by Gurdev Kaur Sangha, noted.

Punjab has about 800 girls per 1,000 boys against a national average of 933 females per 1,000 males.