Don’t coerce on 2-child norm, Centre tells states

NEW DELHI: Following a series of population-based incentives and disincentives announced by several state governments, Union minister for health and family welfare Shatrughan Sinha has written to all chief ministers urging them to keep their policy in tune with that of the Centre.
States such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are already pushing the two-child norm by announcing schemes based on disincentives for those who fail to limit their families to two children.Andhra Pradesh has even been served notice by the National Human Rights Commission for doing so.
Such policies are totally contradictory to the national population policy as they are known only to lead to coercion in the family welfare programme. Secretary, family welfare, JVR Prasada Rao says, ‘‘They eventually turn out to be anti-poor and anti- scheduled caste and scheduled tribes.’’
First and foremost, planners need to realise the deficiencies in the existing services and take steps to rectify them.
For instance, most people do not limit their family size not because they do not want to, but because services are not available, Rao added.
Close to 20 per cent of the population increase is solely due to an unmet need of contraceptives.
The Centre feels that there is a need for a better understanding by state leaderships of the dynamics of population stabilisation. Recently, a seven- member committee was also set up by the Centre to help formulate state-specific population policies, which could address local needs.
On Thursday, a meeting of eight states lagging behind in population programmes would be held in Delhi. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh would take part in the meet, to be chaired by the Union health minister.