Andhra Pradesh govt announces cash rewards for third and fourth Child

MUMBAI: In order to control the declining population rate in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the government has announced an unusual initiative, under which financial rewards will be given to parents on the birth of the third and fourth child.

According to Indian media reports, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the society is facing problems like an aging population and a declining birth rate, so now is the time to take practical steps to encourage the birth of more children.

According to the Chief Minister, the government is working on a proposal to give 30 thousand Indian rupees to parents on the birth of the third child and 40 thousand Indian rupees on the birth of the fourth child. The government will release more details about this project in the next one month.

The announcement comes after the earlier proposal to provide Rs 25,000 on the birth of a second child, however, later state health minister Satya Kumar Yadav clarified that the government has decided to expand the scope of financial incentives to families with a third and more children.

N Chandrababu Naidu said on the occasion that due to increasing income and changing social trends, many couples are content with having only one child, while some families are having a second child only for specific social reasons.

He warned that if the birth rate continues to decline, the state may face manpower and economic balance problems in the future. An average birth rate of 2.1 children per woman is considered necessary to maintain any population.