Chandrababu’s mantra: Promote population growth, not control

ANDHRA PRADESH Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said there is a need to promote population growth in the country, and that in keeping with the changing population trends the focus should shift from population control to population promotion.

In an address after launching four health schemes in Vijayawada on his 66th birthday, Naidu said: “Till now, our focus was population (control) but now we have to promote population growth. The trend has changed. Japan and China are facing problems because of an aged (or ageing) population and they are now promoting population. We should do the same. In our state, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are slowly declining.”

This is not the first time Naidu has expressed his opinion about reconsidering the focus on population control. Last January, referring to the ratio of young and elderly people at a village in Eluru, he urged people to have more children so that the state has a healthy young population.

On Wednesday, Naidu also launched the mobile health service facility ‘Chandranna Samchara Chikitsa’ for rural areas. As part of it, 275 mobile medical units will visit 13,000 villages twice a month to provide healthcare services. Announcing the launch of free CT scan facility on a pilot basis at four government hospitals in Tekkali, Chirala, Guduru and Prodduturu, Naidu said the government is trying to make the state a health hub.

On Thursday, Naidu will lay the foundation stone for India’s largest electronics manufacturing cluster — ELCINA Raaga Mayuri Electronics Park at Chilamathur village in Hindupur Assembly constituency of Anantapur district. The project lies on the Bengaluru National Highway. Taken up in collaboration with Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA), the 50-acre industrial park is being developed by Raaga Myuri Builders. Bengaluru being the electronics hub, the Electronics Park is being set up close to it to attract new industries in the AP region.

The KJR Group has already entered into Mous for establishment of eight electronic component units for defence and aerospace sectors, among others. As per the plan, the park will have highrise buildings of 30 to 35 floors each, and is likely to provide job opportunities to thousands.

N Chandrababu Naidu