Concession on two daughters rejected

LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh Law Commission on Monday submitted to chief minister Yogi Adityanath a controversial draft population control bill that proposes to bar people with more than two children from local body elections, government jobs, increments and promotions, and restrict their welfare benefits.

The 232-page draft of the Uttar Pradesh Population (Control, Stabilization and Welfare) Bill, 2021, was finalised after the commission went through roughly 8,500 public suggestions received over the past fortnight. Some controversial suggestions — such as keeping people with two daughters outside the ambit of the law — were rejected.

“Rising population is a cause of concern for every nationalist... the commission studied all suggestions in detail and incorporated suitable revisions,” said justice (retired) AN Mittal, chairman of the commission, in a written message addressed to the chief minister.

“The state law commission has submitted the draft bill on population control to the chief minister, recommending a specific law for checking population growth,” added justice Mittal, a former judge of the Allahabad high court.

The government is likely to table the draft bill in the assembly soon, said people aware of the developments. The monsoon session of the assembly is scheduled to run from August 17 to 24.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go the polls early next year.

On July 9, the commission uploaded the draft bill on its website seeking suggestions in 10 days (till July 19) from the public.

The commission received 8,500 responses on email; out of this, 8,200 backed the draft legislation and 300 opposed it, said the commission.

But the draft bill immediately stirred a row, with some experts saying the provisions violated constitutional rights and was aimed at particular communities. Opposition politicians also questioned the timing of the draft bill’s release, alleging it was aimed at vote consolidation ahead of the polls.

At least nine other states — including Rajasthan, Assam and Odisha, among others — have adopted two-child norms for limited purposes, mainly for limiting candidature in local body elections. The ambit of the draft UP bill has a wider sweep.

In its report to the CM, the commission rejected the argument that it violated the right to privacy.