Assam CM to pilot 2-child policy with state schemes; rebuts 'you are 5 siblings' argument

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to implement strategies of population control to regulate population growth in state. On Saturday, Chief Minister said Assam government will gradually implement a two-child policy for availing benefits under specific schemes funded by state. He clarified that two-child policy benefits will t be available in all schemes in Assam as many schemes are offered by Centre.

"re are some schemes for which we cant impose two-child policy, like availing free admission in schools and colleges, or houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana," CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said while addressing a press conference. 

"But, in case of some schemes, say if a housing scheme is launched by state government, two-child rm can be introduced. Slowly in later sts, population rm will come in every state government scheme," he added.

Sarma also criticised opposition for targeting size of his parents' family as Chief Minister belongs to a family of five brors.

"re is point in talking about what our parents did or or people did in 1970s. opposition is saying se strange things and pushing us back to 70s," he said.

Although AIUDF had earlier criticised Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks, he said AIUDF chief and MP Badruddin Ajmal has been appreciative of government's thrust on women's education, which has a correlation with population control.

"Badruddin Ajmal met me yesterday. He appreciated importance we are giving on women education," he said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma on immigrant population in Assam

On June 10, Sarma had urged mirity community to adopt a "decent family planning policy" for population control to reduce poverty, which leads to shrinking of living and consequent land encroachment when he spoke about  recent evictions in three districts. He was also frank in saying that  immigrant Muslim community had large families adding to woes of population growth and poverty. Himanta Biswa Sarma's remarks did t go down well with Congress and AIUDF, leading to sharp criticisms by opposition over his remarks.

"Immigrant Muslims in Assam are very poor and often ir landholdings are also small. But problem is that in one or two generations aver ratio of children is 6 to 12 in a family. In some families it is up to 20 children," he had said.

"With division of property in every generation, landholdings shrink and community faces poverty which increases pressure on schools and hospitals," Sarma opined while adding that poverty alleviation programs do t succeed because of population explosion.

"What I said was re should be 'decent' family size, I did t say re should be one or two children. I did t mention any numbers. I only said y should have decent family planning and let community decide what is decent for m,” Sarma had n said while adding that Assamese Muslim families (as against immigrants) have two or three children and y do t have this issue.

Assam currently has a two-child rm along with requirements of minimum educational qualifications and functional sanitary toilets for contesting in panchayat polls as per an amendment in 2018 to Assam Panchayat Act,1994. Chief Minister, who assumed office last month, has been advocating a two-child rm for using benefits under government schemes.

(With PTI inputs)