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Mizoram minister announces cash reward for having maximum number of children
Robert Romawia Royte said that the infertility rate and the decreasing growth rate of the Mizo population has become a serious concern.
Mizoram Sports minister Robert Romawia Royte has announced a cash incentive of ₹1 lakh to a living parent with the highest number of children in his constituency to encourage population growth among the Mizo communities. Royte, however, did not mention the number of children.
On the occasion of Father's Day on Sunday, Royte announced that he would reward a man or woman having the highest number of offspring within his Aizawl East-2 assembly constituency with a cash incentive of ₹1 lakh. The person will also get a certificate and a trophy, the minister said in a statement.
Royte said that the infertility rate and the decreasing growth rate of the Mizo population has become a serious concern.
"Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. Low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress," Royte said, according to news agency PTI.
He further said that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are advocating a baby boom policy to encourage population growth.
This declaration came at a time when several states are advocating a population control policy.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has recently announced that his government will gradually implement a two-child policy for availing benefits under certain schemes funded by the state.
