Rajasthan minister Bhanwar Lal Meghwal seeks law on population control, fourth in cabinet to do so

JAIPUR: Rajasthan’s social justice and empowerment minister Bhanwar Lal Meghwal on Thursday expressed concern over rapid population growth in the country and stressed on the need for bringing a law on population control saying, "The new slogan of the government should be 'hum do, humare ek" (one family, one child) instead of "hum do, humare do" (one family, two children).”
Earlier, on December 31, three ministers of the Gehlot government, including health minister Raghu Sharma, transport minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and minister of state (MoS), information and public relation, Subhash Garg, had collectively advocated that a law on population control was the need of the hour.They also stressed on the need for giving birth to "one child, instead of two".
Meghwal said this while addressing the reporters on Thursday after the 'Jan Sunvai' held at Pradesh Congress office in Jaipur. "I believe that the government of India should bring a law on population control mandating that parents should not give birth to more than one child, be it a girl or a boy. There should not be any discrimination between a boy and a girl. Therefore, instead of "Hum do, humare do", the slogan should be slogan should be "Hum do, humare ek". China is the only state which has been able to take tough steps in controlling rapid population growth in their country."
"Poor people were so terrified because of the errors committed by the officials in implementing Sanjay Gandhi's idea of sterilization for population control that it led to the defeat of our government in the 1977 general elections. But no law should be brought to intimidate the people of the country," he added.
He also said both ministers and secretaries in-charge of districts must visit the districts together. "The chief secretary (D B Gupta) has issued an order that ministers and secretaries in-charge of districts must visit them together. The officials in the districts become more alert and active, when the ministers visit the districts," said Meghwal.