New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday said there is an urgent need to check the increasing population of the country but there will be no forced family planning drive for that.
‘There will be no stringent law, force, but only through awareness, efforts will be made to control population,’ Azad said in the Lok Sabha.
The health minister said population stabilisation should be the top priority of the central and state governments because unchecked population adds to poverty, unemployment and food shortage.
Azad appreciated states which have become successful in controlling population but said a lot needs to be done in six states – Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh.
‘According to the Registrar General of India, the population will increase by 37 crore between 2001-2026 and these states will account for 50 percent increase in population,’ he said.
India is the second most populated country in the world after China with 1.2 billion people.
Speaking on the motion on population stabilisation, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav said the government should ensure population stabilisation either by force or by giving incentives.
