New population policy soon

GUWAHATI, July 11: Worried over the population boom in the State and the existing population policy not yielding the desired results, the Asom Government is contemplating on adopting a new population policy to check the abnormal population growth in the State. To make that happen, the government will introduce a draft resolution on population control in the current Assembly session for discussion among all political parties so as to reach a consensus on the issue.

The decadal growth of population in Asom was 18.92 per cent from 1991 to 2001 in accordance with the 1991 census that put the total population figure of the State at 2.66 crore, which is about three crore now. According to official sources, population growth in some of the districts of the State is too high and that leads to problems in developmental works. About 87 per cent of the total population of the State live in rural areas, and most of them are ignorant of family planning. In urban areas, the people are conscious enough to take birth control measures themselves.

"In minority-dominated areas, the government took awareness drive on family planning without success," official sources said, adding that till recently family planning was associated with the State Health and Family Welfare Department only, but now the State Government has taken the matter more seriously by involving all the departments concerned. After a thorough discussion on the draft resolution, the Assembly is likely to adopt a resolution on the new population policy.

It is an open secret that unabated illegal infiltration into the State from Bangladesh is the main reason behind the abnormal rise in population in the State, but how will the government tackle this problem? SOURCE: THE SENTINEL