Punjab: Cong MLA submits bill seeking population control law

Chandigarh, Jul 4 (PTI) Seeking a law to implement population control measures in the state, Congress MLA from Jalandhar North, Avtar Singh Junior, submitted a private member's bill proposing several disincentives for married couples with more than two living children.

The bill was submitted to Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Wednesday.

The bill outlines various penalties for couples who, after the law comes into effect, conceive an additional child while already having more than two living children.

The penalties include disqualifications from voting, contesting elections for the state legislature, panchayats, or municipal bodies; accessing any government welfare programs; securing appointments in government or government-funded institutions, and receiving state-funded scholarships, fellowships, or educational incentives funded by the state.

Titled 'The Population Control Bill 2025', the bill also proposes a penalty of at least Rs 10 lakh for each additional child born.

Additionally, the bill aims to establish a state population control and public welfare committee to formulate and implement a comprehensive state population control policy based on a two-child norm.

This would ensure the appointment of nodal officers for family planning in each district civil hospital, preparing and promoting strategies relating to contraception and other family planning measures, and conducting counselling sessions for eligible couples.

Incentives for families adhering to the two-child norm are also included in the bill.

Families below the poverty line who adhere to the two-child norm would be eligible for direct cash incentives, while the general population may receive benefits such as soft loans, tax rebates, and additional subsidies.

The MLA asserted that the bill's provisions promote responsible parenthood, safeguard maternal health, and encourage collective efforts toward sustaining the state's natural resources, including soil, forests, and rivers.

"Due to overpopulation, it also puts pressure on state resources. If the population is controlled, more resources can be used to uplift and improve the lives of poor people, those below the poverty line and the economically weaker sections. It would enable the state to spend more on healthcare, develop good schools and ramp up infrastructure," he said when asked about the bill he submitted.

Junior also noted research indicating a "direct correlation between overpopulation and crime." He argued that a reduced population could alleviate issues related to crime and unemployment, including the drug problem prevalent in Punjab.

He called for the bill to be discussed in the Vidhan Sabha, expressing a desire for a thorough discussion on the subject.

"I welcome suggestions and arguments for or against the proposal. It is crucial that we have a debate," the MLA said. PTI SUN MPL MPL