New Delhi: Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has strongly reacted to Andhra Pradesh MP Kalisettiappala Naidu’s announcement of giving Rs 50,000 in cash and a cow for the birth of a boy to women having their third child. Chidambaram termed the move as unwise and wrong, saying it could prove detrimental to India’s future.

In his statement, he said that India has already become the most populous country in the world and its population is now stabilizing. According to him, a United Nations report suggests that India’s population will peak by 2062, after which it will start declining.

Chidambaram added that we still have 37 years left and encouraging parents to have more children during this time would be tantamount to reversing the progress of the last 70 years. He stressed that the challenges facing the country at present do not include promoting more children. According to him, the real focus should be on reducing maternal mortality rate, providing better nutrition and care to children in the first five years. He said that improving the quality of life should be the priority instead of population growth.

It may be noted that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP from Vizag Ram in Andhra Pradesh, Kalisettyappala Naidu, had recently announced that a cash amount of Rs 50,000 would be given to women who give birth to their third child. In addition, if the child is a boy, the woman would also be given a cow as a gift. The aim of this announcement is said to be to promote population growth, but it is being criticized from many quarters.

Chidambaram criticized the move, saying that in a country like India, where resources are already limited, encouraging population growth can worsen economic and social problems. He said that the efforts India has made to control population in the last few decades could be lost due to such measures. He argued that the government and society should together focus on better upbringing and health of children, not on increasing their number.