The population explosion would trigger a chain of disasters, destructions, and deaths already witnessed by the country in various forms and shapes of Mother Nature’s deadliest of furies.
Nagpur News:
“If we do not voluntarily bring population growth under control in the next one or two decades, the Nature will do it for us in the most brutal way, whether we like it or not.”
And the fresh and the deadliest example is in front us– The Uttarakhand holocaust. However, for a Government (Congress party), more the population more the votes is policy. And for the votebank, the UPA Government has dumped the decades old policy “Hum Do Hamare Do” into deep sea for the sake of votes. However, dumping of the policy into the deep sea any day would prove self-destruction in the various forms and shapes of disasters, damages and deaths.
The instant case relates to a Ministry in Central Government which has, in the hope of attracting votes from poor and backward sections of society, scrapped a provision of two children and the age bar of at least 19 to become mother included in the “Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) launched in 2005. It clearly explains in simple words that they could have more than two children and the poor woman can conceive before 19 years of age.
Now, after the Ministry’s decision, the poor and backward class women falling under Below Poverty Line (BPL), SC, ST categories can avail all the benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana despite having more than two children even before 19 years age, too. However, the million dollar question is how a Government Department neglects another Department’s requirements.
TWO DEPARTMENTS, TWO DIFFERENT FACES:
A) Family Planning Department says: “Bacche Do Hi Acche” (Two kids, good kids) and the Family Welfare Department scrapped the provision of two-children limit.
B) Apart from Maharashtra, Government employees in various states have to sign two children bonds.
C) Minimum age of girls for marriage 18 in the entire country. The girls having children before 19 years could avail benefits in JSY scheme.
THE MIRACLES OF JANANI SURAKSHA YOJANA:
The Janani Suraksha Yojana launched through Rashtriya Grameen Swasthya Mission (National Rural Health Mission) in 2005 was aimed at admitting pregnant women in health centres or hospitals instead of deliveries in homes.
Since 2005, Rs 500 were given to women of 19 year under BPL, SC, ST categories after the deliveries in health centres, hospitals with a condition of delivery to alive babies. Since past two years, a whopping 1,10,000,00 women delivered in health centres and hospitals in accordance with JSY scheme.
WITHER FAMILY PLANNING?
According to Health and Family Welfare Ministry’s order, implemented in all states from May 7, the provision of age bar of 19 and the limit of live children had been dumped in the JSY scheme. The Maharashtra Government’s Family Welfare Department’s Assistant Director Dr S Konkan said, till now in the high performance states (including Maharashtra) Rs 500 were given to pregnant women which is now hiked to Rs 700. Secondly, the government employees have to sign only children bond. Apart from this, the minimum marriageable age for girls is 18 in the entire country still women having children before 19 years of age are being benefited in the JSY scheme.
However, according to an official of Family Welfare Department, in villages women become mothers in before 19 years of age and have more than two children. In this situation, apart from providing facilities under JSY scheme, the Department also holds counseling sessions for women, and sometimes even for men. In the counseling sessions, the Department apprises them of importance of family planning. The Health Services Assistant Director, S V Kulkarni said, the main aim of JYS scheme is to curb mortality rate of pregnant mothers.
