Sikkim: Concerned over declining fertility rate, CM Tamang to announce monetary incentives for mothers bearing more than 2 children

Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang has expressed concerns over the state's dropping fertility rate while others like Assam and Uttar Pradesh are introducing rules that discourage having more than two children.

CM Tamang stated that his government would soon introduce financial incentives for mothers who have more than two children after taking the matter seriously.

The state's fertility rate has substantially decreased from 2.5 in 1999 to barely 1.1 in 2021, putting the state's whole Sikkimese population in danger of going extinct.

Within a month, a notification in this regard would be issued, with women state government employees with more than two children receiving an increase and other Sikkimese mothers receiving monetary incentives.
Tamang stated to the media, "This would reverse the earlier scheme of providing increments to women employees for bearing less than two children as part of family planning."

The incentive program was being considered as a means of halting the trend, according to the Chief Minister, who also stated that the state government was discussing the alarming rate of decline in the fertility rate.

Tamang also expressed the worry that the local Sikkimese population would be at risk of being outnumbered by outsiders in the not-too-distant future if this trend did not change.

He further expressed that to assist with expanding the richness rate, the state government has proactively expanded the maternity leave for moms from a half year to one year and is likewise giving Rs 3 lakh to ladies keen on going for in vitro preparation (IVF) to conceive kids.

The decision made by the chief minister of Sikkim comes at a time when states like Uttar Pradesh and Assam have supported policies that prevent people with more than two children from receiving government jobs or incentives.
 

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