The population control bill will be brought soon at the Centre, Union minister for Food Processing Industries Prahlad Singh Patel said in Raipur on Tuesday. While attending ‘Garib Kalyan Sammelan’ at ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management in Baronda, the minister said, “It (Population Control Bill) will be brought soon. When such strong and big decisions have been taken then the rest too (will be taken).”
The remarks come after the Uttar Pradesh government announced a new population policy for 2021-2030 last year, where it said that the government would incentivise couples who would help in population control. According to the draft population bill that the UP government had proposed, several incentives like promotions, perks, concessions in housing schemes among many others, would be provided to government officials and public servants for adhering to the two-child policy.
The bill further proposed that if a parent goes for vasectomy, then the child will get free medical facilities till they turn 20. The bill also aimed to incentivise non-government employees with tax benefits on home loans, water, etc. if they followed the two-child policy.
The proposed bill came under a lot of criticism with many believing that it would endanger women’s health, and also lead to an increase in unsafe abortions.
Addressing the media in Raipur, Patel took a dig at the ruling Congress party in Chhattisgarh over its failure to implement central schemes, falling behind their target. “The state government has been able to achieve only 23 per cent work under Jal Jeevan Mission while the national average of target achievement under it is 50 per cent. There is no problem with water sources in the state but the problem is management. Similarly, the state could not complete the target under the PM Awas scheme,” he said.
Earlier, while celebrating PM Narendra Modi government’s eighth year anniversary at the Centre, Patel told several beneficiaries of central schemes, during Gariba Kalyan Sammelan, that ‘service, good governance and welfare of poor’ is his government’s mantra. He also highlighted several initiative taken by PM Modi in the last eight years.