UP has the highest birth rate, followed by Bihar, MP and Rajasthan. MP tops in death rate, while infant mortality is the highest in Orissa, followed by MP, Assam, UP and Rajasthan, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD observes in its 87th report on demands for grants for health and family welfare ministry. The report was tabled in Parliament last week. The committee said it found ``no noticeable improvement" during the last three years in all these states. Audit reports have indicated financial irregularities during 1995-98 in several instances that include pay and allowances of the staff engaged in family welfare programmes, maintenance of sterilisation wards, purchase of drugs, misutilisation of miscellaneous purpose funds, and expenditure on defunct training schools. The committeeexpressed concern over the contraception coverage, which was only 10.1 per cent of the eligible males for condoms and 3.8 per cent of females for oral pills, till March 31 this year. It said for the population to stabilise, contraception coverage needs to be increased "many times in the next few months", with focus on uncovered areas. The committee said distribution of free contraceptives too has reached a saturation point, and the ministry of health no longer prefers this strategy as it is leading to a lot of wastage. It also expressed its reservations to the increase in allocation for free distribution of contraceptives during 1999-2000.

The secretary of the department pointed out that underfunding has always been the bane of the sector, which has led to the department's inability to pay arrears to the states. The committee conceded that non-payment of arrears "adversely affected" the programme and the issue should be sorted out "without delay". The Planning Commission may be approached for aone-time grant, it said.