The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved the State population policy which is likely to be tabled in the House during the forthcoming session starting Monday.
The proposed policy intends to bar those having more than two children from being elected or nominated to panchayat and other local bodies’ elections or government.
The new BJP-led Government in Assam that came to power last year initiated the draft population policy on March 27, 2017. With the policy likely to be tabled in the House, the forthcoming session is expected to be a stormy one as some political parties have expressed their reservations against the draft policy.
Assam health and education minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier stated that government will take up with government of India that MlAs adhere to family planning norms.
“We are going to propose to the central government to make the two child norm as the yardstick for any contesting any elections. In case any MlA from State flouts the family planning norms i.e MlAS having more than two children may be disqualified from his/her membership and be barred from contesting polls,” Sarma told reporters earlier.
Besides this, the policy also proposes widow pension besides providing victims of triple talaq dependency allowance or pension till they are imparted skill upgradation.
The policy that the stated Government will consider bringing legislation to increase the reservation of women in eligible jobs up to 50 percent.
While political parties including congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has opposed the two child norm policy, Oxfam India has also warned Assam government against coercive measure in State Population Policy 2017.