"No Proposal Yet": Madhya Pradesh Minister As MLA Seeks Population Control Law

Amid demand by a ruling BJP legislator to enact a population control law in Madhya Pradesh, a senior minister on Tuesday said no such proposal is under consideration of the state government "as of now".

BJP MLA from Bhopal Huzur Rameshwar Sharma on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking enactment of a law to control the rising population in the state.

Mr Sharma's demand has come in the backdrop of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh announcing a new population policy.

Asked about the letter seeking a population control law, Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is also state government's spokesman, said, "No such proposal is under consideration of the government as of now."

In the letter, Mr Sharma, a former protem speaker, said, "It is estimated that the population of Madhya Pradesh has now grown to 8.75 crore, adding around 1.5 crore people in the last one decade. This population is more than several European countries, which have much more resources than Madhya Pradesh."

Mr Sharma said a population control law will ensure all-round development, good governance and security of the state.

On the other hand, Congress MLA from Bhopal Central Arif Masood alleged this demand is being made to further the RSS agenda.

Though mooted in the name of a minority community, Dalits and tribals living in villages are the actual target of such a policy as they have more children, he said.

This has nothing to do with development, he added.

On July 11, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled the Uttar Pradesh Population Policy 2021-2030 aiming at bringing down the gross fertility rate among women by 2030.

A draft bill on UP population control policy says people having more than two children in Uttar Pradesh will be debarred from contesting local bodies polls, applying for government jobs or receiving any kind of subsidy.

It also seeks to prohibit promotions in government jobs for such people, while offering incentives to those limiting their children to two.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)