Vaishali: As India finds out ways to control population growth, a policy in Bihar seems to be encouraging the opposite the Bihar government gives Rs 1400 to the family of every child delivered in a government hospital, while the incentive for every vasectomy is Rs 600.
Latest figures reveal that Bihar’s population, which stands at 10 crores 38 lakhs is growing at the rate of 25.07 per cent, which is above the national average.
The number of children below the age of six has touched 1.85 crores, that is almost 17.6 per cent of state’s total population.
Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Chawbey says, “To encourage delivery in hospitals, we pay Rs1400 for every new birth.”
Getting paid more for having a baby than not having it, may not be as lucrative an offer for us, but for poor landless labourers, who struggle everyday to make their ends meet, it’s an incentive, which indeed lures them. And in addition to money, an extra working hand for future also matters.
Bihar’s policy leading to more births
May 5, 2011 •