UP Law Commission framing draft bill to check population growth

The Uttar Pradesh Law Commission is mulling a proposal to bring in a law to check increasing population

The Uttar Pradesh Law Commission is mulling a proposal to bring in a la to check increasing population.

The chairman of the Law Commission, Aditya Nath Mittal, has said that there should be a check on the increasing population as it is creating problems in the state.

Justice Mittal, former judge of the Allahabad high court, is framing a draft law for the Uttar Pradesh government to help check rising population of the state.

"The draft law will be prepared in the next two months and the report will be submitted to the state government," Justice Mittal said.

Stressing on the requirement of such a law, Justice Mittal said: "Resources are already overstretched due to increasing population. Be it medical facilities, food grains and jobs -- everything is under stress due to rising population."

"Imagine if the population of the state remains 22 crore to 23 crore even after 20 years, then what will be the state's condition? There will be availability of everything in abundance for the future generation. There will be no scarcity of resources," he said.

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the country with a population of around 22 crores.

"While drafting this law, all aspects will be looked into and exhaustive study of all such laws will be carried out," he added.

Justice Mittal's report and a draft bill on Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion had played a key role in the framing of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act 2021.

The State Law Commission had also submitted a draft law to the state government for removal of religious structures from public places, recommending a three-year prison term and fine for violators.

Mittal said those who are helping and contributing towards population control in the state should continue to get the benefit of government resources and facilities. He also clarified that population control is different from family planning and it is not against any particular religion and human rights.

The Law Commission chairman's statement comes after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced his government's proposed population control policy.

However, the UP government has not issued any official confirmation on a law being formulated along the same lines.

It is noteworthy that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has already announced the gradual implementation of the two-child policy for availing of government benefits in Assam.

However, tea garden workers and members of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities have been exempted from its purview.

--IANS

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