Draft bill favouring two-child policy submitted to UP CM
The Uttar Pradesh Law Commission on Monday submitted to chief minister Yogi Adityanath a 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 Allahabad high court.
The government is likely to table the draft bill in the assembly soon, said people aware of developments. The monsoon session of the assembly is scheduled to run from August 17 to 24.
On July 9, the commission uploaded the draft bill on its website seeking suggestions in 10 days (till July 19) from the public.
After the draft bill was uploaded, some experts raised questions about some of the provisions. Opposition politicians also questioned the timing of the draft bill’s release, alleging it was aimed at vote consolidation ahead of the polls.
In its report to the chief minister, the commission rejected the argument that it violated the right to privacy.
“In no way, the right to life and liberty as provided in Article 21 of the Constitution of India is being curtailed. Moreover, if a couple does not want to adopt the two child norm, then he is free to do so but certain disincentives have been provided under the bill, which cannot be claimed as of right,” the commission said in the report.
The draft bill recommends various benefits to public servants and ordinary people who adopt the two-child policy, including financial incentives. It also recommends special benefits to those who have one child and exemption to couples from the two-child policy in case of multiple births out of the second pregnancy and revocation of incentives in case of breac the two-child norm.
Those in breach of the t child norm may find their ernment promotions and in ments blocked, their ration other government benefits tailed, and candidature nomination to local elect and bodies cancelled -- if the ommendations are accepte
The commission reje many suggestions recei Prominent among them stopping people with more two children from voting, fi ing state and national elect and accessing reservation b fits. It also dismissed a sug tion to allow a third child two daughters. “The com sion has made recomme tions for a third child in there is disability of first or ond child or there occurs d of child or any of the chi transgender. It shall be a n ending process to give birt more children in quest of a child,” said the commission