Assam MP demands government to exempt Char dwellers from '2-child policy'
- Jun 22, 2021,
- Updated Jun 22, 2021, 12:21 AM IST
GUWAHATI: Abdul Khaleque, the Congress MP who represents Barpeta Lok Sabha Constituency in Assam, has said that the Assam government must exempt the char dwellers from the new population policy of the Assam government.
"The government is saying that it will exempt the tea tribe community and the scheduled tribe and castes from its new policy wherein families with only two children will be eligible for government schemes. However, the families of areas must also be eligible for the exemption as the people in those areas are backward and do not get proper health and education facilities," Khaleque told InsideNE over the phone.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that he will gradually implement a two-child policy in the state for availing government benefits.
He also said that govt schemes, including loan waivers, will not be applicable to tea garden workers and the SC-ST community. The benefits will be provided while taking population norms into account, he added.
Also Read: Mizoram Minister Announces Rs 1 Lakh Incentive For Parents With The Highest Number…
Sarma said, "Be it loan waiver or other govt schemes, population norms will be taken into account. It won't be applicable to tea garden workers/SC-ST community."
"In the future, population norms will be taken into account as eligibility for govt benefits. Population policy has begun," said the Assam CM.
He went on to assert that the Assam government will incorporate a two-child policy for availing government benefits.
The Chief Minister, who assumed office last month, has been advocating a two-child norm for using benefits under the government schemes.
On June 10, Sarma had spoken about recent evictions in three districts and urged the minority community to adopt "decent family planning policy" for population control to reduce poverty, which leads to shrinking of living space and consequent land encroachment.
He has also blamed the immigrant Muslim community -- most of them living in for having large families