SDF govt to incentivize indigenous women to produce two

The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) will incentivize women belonging to the indigenous committies in the state to produce more children as the fertility rate have declined, senior party leader P D Rai said Saturday.

"The fertility rate in Sikkim has plummeted to an alarming low rate of 1.2 children," Rai told reporters here.

Equating the declining population of indigenous people comprising Lepcha, Bhutia and Sikkimese Nepalis with Japan and Singapore, he said that the SDF government, if elected to power again, will launch a 'Proud Mother Scheme' under which women will be given an incentive of Rs 5,000 on the birth of her first child and Rs 10,000 on second child.

Rai, a two-term sitting LS MP who has been denied ticket by the SDF leadership and replaced by D B Katwal, said that no formula of incentive to the women for giving birth to third child or more has been worked out by the ruling party as yet.

Sikkim has a population of in excess of 6.5 lakh of which an estimated 60 per cent are the indigenous communities.