Have more children, get a pay rise: The government made a big announcement in this Indian state
Addressing a Magh Sankranti program in South Sikkim’s Jorthang town on Sunday, he said Sikkim’s fertility rate has declined in recent years with the population of caste communities having recorded the lowest aging rate of one child per woman.
Gangtok: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has announced various incentives for people of caste communities to have more children. Addressing a Magh Sankranti program in South Sikkim’s Jorthang town on Sunday, he said Sikkim’s fertility rate has declined in recent years with the population of caste communities having recorded the lowest aging rate of one child per woman. We need to increase the declining fertility rate by encouraging local people to have more children with women, Tamang said.
The Chief Minister said that his government has already announced 365 days maternity leave to women in service and 30 days paternity leave to male employees. So that they can be encouraged to bear children. Apart from this, the state government has announced to give a salary increase to women employees on the birth of a second child and two watan increases on the birth of a third child. The Chief Minister said that ordinary people will also be eligible for financial assistance to bear children. Details of which will be prepared by the Department of Health and Women and Child Welfare.
Tamang said that his government has started IVF facilities in hospitals in Sikkim to encourage women to conceive naturally if they have problems. He said that all mothers who give birth to children through this process will be given an amount of three lakh rupees. The Chief Minister said that so far 38 women have conceived from the IVF facility and some of them have become mothers.
Tamang hit out at the previous government led by Pawan Kumar Chamling for pressuring the people of Sikkim to have a small family by having only one child. At present the estimated population of Sikkim is less than seven lakh. In which 80 percent of the caste community people are involved.
