The Uttar Pradesh government has come up
with a draft bill that proposes strict action against people who violate the
two-child per family norm.

The government has invited suggestions
from the public on the bill until July 19. The draft is titled ‘The Uttar
Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill, 2021’.   

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According to the Uttar Pradesh State Law
Commission (UPSLC) website, the state law commission is working on control,
stabilisation and welfare of the population of the state.

Here’s a look at the details of the draft
bill:

Incentivising family planning

Public servants who adopt the two-child
norm will get two additional increments during their entire service. They will
also get maternity and paternity leaves, as the case may be, for 12 months with
full salary and allowances. Adhering to the norm will also get government
servants a three per cent increase in the employers’ contribution fund under
the national pension scheme.

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A state population fund will be formed
to facilitate implementation of the act.

Ramping up reproductive healthcare

According to the draft bill, maternity
centres will be set up at every primary health centre (PHC). The centres and
NGOs will be tasked with distributing contraceptive pills, condoms and
spreading awareness about family planning methods. They will also ensure
mandatory registration of pregnancies, deliveries, births and deaths within
Uttar Pradesh.

Educating the citizenry

The draft bill proposes to introduce a
compulsory subject on population control in all secondary schools.

Cost
of violating the norm 

Citizens
violating the two-child policy will be barred from contesting local body
elections as well as for applying for or getting promoting in government jobs
or receiving any kind of government subsidy, according to the draft bill.

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Justifying the purpose of the proposals,
the draft bill says: “In Uttar Pradesh, there are the limited ecological and
economic resources at hand. It is necessary and urgent that the provision of
basic necessities of human life including affordable food, safe drinking water,
decent housing, access to quality education, economic/livelihood opportunities,
power/electricity for domestic consumption, and a secure living is accessible
to all citizens.”