The Hindu : Front Page : No coercion in population policy, says Manmohan Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 24, 2005

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Front Page

No coercion in population policy, says Manmohan Singh

Gargi Parsai

Left parties, BJP, BSP keep away from meet

NEW DELHI: Chairing the first meeting of the reconstituted National Commission on Population, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said any coercive measure for achieving population stabilisation was "unacceptable.'' The Government's approach to fertility reduction — when the population was set to touch 140 crores by 2026 — would be through evolving an effective development strategy, focusing on elimination of poverty, empowerment of women and choices in limiting the family size, he said. The Left Parties (CPI, CPI-M), the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party stayed away from the meeting, attended among others by National Advisory Council president Sonia Gandhi.

The Prime Minister directed that a Task Force be set up for micro-planning in five demographically weak States of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa which constitute 40 per cent of the population. The Task Force would take up the population stabilisation programme under the leadership of these States, which have a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of above four. It would work with these States to invest more in health infrastructure for reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates, crucial for population stabilisation.

Emphasising that the National Population Policy of 2000 was for target-free, voluntary and informed choice and against any coercion or giving incentives and disincentives, the Prime Minister said such measures had only a marginal impact and sometimes may even cause resentment and non-acceptance of the programme. He wanted the programme to become a mass movement and stressed the need for a three-pronged approach — focused attention on women and girls, enhancement of educational and health levels and balanced regional development.

Dr. Singh directed that an annual survey of the districts of the States having high fertility rate and where the National Rural Health Mission is being implemented be conducted to ensure that the benchmark of basic health infrastructure was created, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told mediapersons.

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