Andhra CM offers Rs 30,000 for 3rd child, Rs 40,000 for 4th to boost birth rate

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu pointed to the purported trend where rising incomes are leading some couples to opt for a single child. At the same time, according to him, other couples are only choosing to have a second child only if their firstborn is a girl.

In Short

• Decision aims to reverse state's declining population trend
• Naidu govt earlier planned to offer Rs 25,000 for second child
• He says children should be viewed as nation’s wealth and not burden

In a move aimed at reversing Andhra Pradesh's declining population trend, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced cash incentives of Rs 30,000 on the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth one.

He made the announcement while addressing a public meeting in Srikakulam district, saying that further details about the decision will be announced within a month.

"I have made a new decision. We will provide Rs 30,000 immediately after the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child. Isn't this the right decision?" he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Naidu expressed concern over Andhra Pradesh's falling population growth rate, and asserted that children should be viewed as the nation’s wealth, instead of a burden. Although the chief minister had once advocated population control measures, he said it was now time for society to work together to increase the birth rate.

Naidu's latest announcement follows an earlier proposal to provide a Rs 25,000 incentive to couples on the birth of a second child. Earlier this year, in March, he had informed the state Assembly about the plans for the 'second child' incentive.

On Saturday, however, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said that the government had decided to extend the incentives to families having a third child and beyond, according to PTI.

Meanwhile, CM Naidu pointed to the purported trend where rising incomes are leading some couples to opt for a single child. At the same time, according to him, other couples are only choosing to have a second child only if their firstborn is a girl.

The chief minister cautioned that the state's population growth rate is declining as a result of such factors, and emphasised the importance of maintaining the replacement-level total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1.

Noting that a population remains stable only when the fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman, Naidu highlighted the adverse impact of declining populations and ageing societies on the economies of several countries around the world.

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(With inputs from agencies)