Pune: Amid busting of the prenatal sex determination and female foeticide racket in Pune district, the state public health department has also identified 29 pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques (PCPNDT) centres and six medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) centres allegedly violating statutory norms during a statewide enforcement drive, officials said on Sunday.A woman getting her sonography done at Beed city, Beed district, India, on Thursday, June 7, 2012. Photo by- Vidya Subramanian (Hindustan Times)The health department has issued show-cause notices to these centres suspected of flouting norms and directed them to submit their explanations at the earliest. Further action, including suspension or cancellation of licences and prosecution under relevant laws, will be decided upon after examining the centres’ replies, said officials.A special inspection drive was conducted between April 16 and May 15, 2026 during which, health authorities inspected 11,509 PCPNDT centres and 5,867 MTP centres across Maharashtra. The inspections were carried out to strengthen the enforcement of laws aimed at preventing illegal- sex determination and abortions.According to the inspection report, 29 PCPNDT centres were found violating the provisions of the PCPNDT Act. The highest number of violations was reported from Nagpur district (13), followed by Pune Municipal Corporation (4), Dhule Municipal Corporation (4), Akola Municipal Corporation (2), and Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (2). One violation each was detected in Parbhani, Dhule district, Nandurbar and Sangli Municipal Corporation, read the inspection report, a copy of which Hindustan Times has seen.Furthermore, six violations were revealed during the inspection of MTP centres. Of these, five were reported in Nagpur district and one in Dhule Municipal Corporation. The department has issued show-cause notices to all six centres, while one centre has already submitted its reply, according to the inspection report.Dr Sandeep Sangale, joint director, public health department, said, “The identified centres have been issued show-cause notices. They have been asked to submit their responses immediately. Appropriate action will be initiated after examining their replies in accordance with the provisions of the PCPNDT Act and the MTP Act.”As per officials, the inspections covered registration records, maintenance of mandatory documentation, display of statutory information, record-keeping, compliance with legal procedures and adherence to provisions governing prenatal diagnostic techniques and abortion services.Moreover, the violations were major including maintaining information in envelopes in secrecy; missing doctors’ signatures on abortion reports (two doctors are supposed to authenticate the process); some centres failing to submit mandatory monthly reports to the local body; some centres found using expired pregnancy termination medicines; some centres having incomplete documents or failing to maintain records and registers or having F forms sans signature.The statewide drive assumes significance as the police continue to uncover fresh links in the sex determination and female foeticide racket in Pune district, wherein several doctors, hospital operators and agents have already been arrested for their suspected involvement in illegal prenatal sex determination and sex-selective abortions.Health officials said that the ongoing crackdown aims to ensure strict compliance with the PCPNDT Act, which prohibits sex selection before or after conception; and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which regulates abortion services. The department said enforcement will continue across the state and warned that any hospital or diagnostic centre found violating the law will face strict legal action.Dr Sangale said, “The objective is to ensure that every registered centre functions strictly within the legal framework. Any violation affecting the implementation of these laws will be dealt with firmly,” he said.