In a bid to control the population growth in Assam, the State government has proposed a strict two-child policy. The government also said, no person would be eligible for government benefits, including jobs if the proposed norm was broken.
The Health Minister of State, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “as Assam is facing dangerous population explosion and we have proposed a population policy to control it. Any person having more than two kids will not be eligible to apply for government jobs as well as government service including that of becoming members of the panchayat and civic bodies.”
“Family having more than two kids will also not be eligible for various government schemes,” Sarma added.
He added that “families with more than two children will also not be eligible for various benefits under different government schemes”.
According to a 2012-2013 Annual Health Survey, Assam has recorded high rate of child marriage, with Dhubri bordering Bangladesh recording more than 15%.
Sarma further asserted, “many girls in the areas of Assam are marrying between 14-16 years, while boys have been found to be marrying between 16-20 years. The government is taking punitive measures for those violating the laws relating to minimum age for marriage.”
Assam will become the second state in the country after Rajasthan to have rules separate from the national population policy of 2000.
