Robert Romawia Royte, the Sports Minister of Mizoram has promised a cash prize from parents who have multiple kids in Aizawl, which is his constituency. This is an attempt to boost the decreasing rates of childbirth in the state and encourage further growth of the population. There is no mention, however, of the number of kids. This announcement came out on the occasion of Father’s Day.
According to this announcement, the person with the largest number of children in the constituency will be receiving ₹1 lakh as an incentive. The person will also get a certificate and a trophy, all of these awarded by the construction company owned by the minister’s son.
“Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. Low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress,” Royte said, according to news agency PTI. He added that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are also promoting the same, since there is a dire need for a population boom in the state.
It is to be noted that a lot of states are advising population control measures right around the time that this announcement has come from Mizoram. So, it is safe to say that this news has invoked mixed reactions from the public.
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