The Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission has started drafting a law for population control in the state. The commission is currently studying social conditions and other points along with the laws applicable in some other states including Assam, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Source told The Daily Guardian that soon the law commission will prepare the report more on the lines of Assam and submit it to the state government.
Under this, there will be a study on various points regarding the denial of benefits of government facilities to the parents of more than two children. There will be a churn on how much should be cut, especially in the facilities available under government schemes.
Under what time limit will the parents be brought under the ambit of this law and what will be the arrangement for them in government jobs apart from government facilities, many such points will also be very important.
Justice Aditya Nath Mittal, chairman of the commission, said that the study of the laws applicable in Assam, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has been started regarding population control. Keeping in mind the other aspects including unemployment and starvation, the report is prepared on the basis of consideration of various points.
“Population is nearing an explosive stage. It is causing other issues too—related to hospitals, foodgrains, houses, or employment. We believe that there should be a check on population. Population control is different from family planning,” Justice Mittal said.
He further stated that his statements are not targeted towards any community, nor does he want to challenge human rights of citizens. “We don’t want to give a message in Uttar Pradesh that we are against any particular religion or anyone’s human rights. We just want to see to it that the government resources and facilities are available to those who are helping in and contributing towards population control,” he added.
Meanwhile the Assam government has proposed to extend its two-child policy for availing benefits under specific schemes funded by the state.
“We will slowly implement population norms for government schemes. There are some schemes for which we cannot impose the two-child norm—availing free admission in schools and colleges, or for houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana; everyone will get that,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference.
“But, in the case of some schemes, say if a scheme like a Chief Minister Awas Yojana is launched in the future for the middle-class, then the two-child norm will be enforced. Similarly, population norms will gradually be put in place in the case of some chosen schemes,” he said.
Meanwhile BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the right to clean air, drinking water, health, peaceful sleep, shelter, livelihood, and education guaranteed under Articles 21 and 21A of the Constitution could not be secured to all citizens without controlling the population explosion.
In his letter, he claimed that the population of India had “marched ahead” of China, as about 20 percent of Indians did not have Aadhaar and therefore, were not accounted for, and there were also crores of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in the country.