Girl education will help reduce fertility rate: CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA/MUNGER: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday expressed confidence that spread of education among girls would result in a drop in the state’s

fertility rate

, which was higher than the national average.

Launching the second phase of his ‘Vikas Samiksha Yatra’ to review implementation of various government schemes on the ground, the CM highlighted several measures taken by his government to boost enrolment of girls in schools in a bid to spread education among them. “When we assumed power, we noticed that the state has a very high density of population. The problem got compounded by a fertility rate that was much higher than the national average. However, the same was found to be on par with the national average, or even lower, among girls who had studied up to Class X or Class XII,” he said while addressing a public meeting at Lakshmipur in Jamui district.

“Our schemes such as free bicycles and uniforms to girls have led to a sharp rise in their enrolment in schools. Earlier, while only about one lakh girls reached high school every year, the number has now crossed seven lakhs,” he said. “This is bound to have a bearing on the fertility rate and bring the growth in population under control,” he added.

The CM also called upon the people of the state to make the January 21 human chain formation against twin social evils – dowry and child marriage – far bigger than the one formed in support of total prohibition on the same day this year.

The CM said almost villages in the state had been electrified and the remaining ‘tolas’ (parts inhabited by others of the main village) would get power connection by April next year.

Earlier, the CM reviewed implementation of the schemes taken up under the ‘Saat Nishchay’ programme of the government in the ward number one of Kala village in the Lakshmipur block.

He also addressed a public meeting at Nauagarhi on the outskirts of Munger. Earlier, the CM visited some households at Milkichak village under Jankinagar gram panchayat in

Munger

to see if people concerned had been provided toilet, piped water supply, road and power facilities. The CM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several schemes worth around Rs 320 crore.

In Jamui district, the CM inaugurated 520 schemes worth Rs 248 crore. He also laid the foundation stones for 323 other schemes worth Rs 247 crore.

At Munger, he said liquor ban has changed the face of the state besides reducing cases of domestic violence. The CM said his government would take stringent measures against those engaged in smuggling of liquor despite total prohibition.

He said a new post of IG (prohibition) has been created at the state police headquarters to deal with cases of liquor related offences. State chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and DGP P K Thakur also addressed the meeting.