UP Population Policy: First Inform How Many Children Ministers Have, Says Khurshid

Picture courtesy PTI

Lucknow: The day after a draft bill on population control was uploaded on UP’s state law commission website, chief minister Yogi Adityanath released the state’s new policy which aims to reduce population growth rate to 2.1% over next 10 years.

Such a move is bound to evoke mixed response and generate debates.

Veteran Congress leader Salman Khurshid raised a valid point. He said before implementing the policy, the CM should first inform the public about the number of children all his ministers have.

“It should be implemented. First, (the govt) has to inform how many children do ministers have. After that, this act should be implemented. Legitimate & illegitimate children should also be counted,” ANI quoted Khurshid as saying on the UP Population Control Bill 2021.

Suggestions on improvement/changes in the draft bill have been invited from the public till July 19.

The draft bill has proposed that a person having more than two children will be barred from contesting local body elections, applying for or getting promotion in government jobs, and receiving any kind of government subsidy.

If enacted, the law will come into force one year from the date of publication in the gazette.