New Delhi, March 5 (IANS) Voicing concern over the challenges posed by South India’s demographic trends, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday advocated incentives for families to have more children.
Addressing a press conference after separate meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, he said that South India’s aging population poses challenges, whereas states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have a younger demographic.
He emphasised the need for long-term demographic management rather than population control.
“I used to advocate family planning. Now I am changing my views and promoting population now. India is one country with the biggest advantage in the demographic dividend. If we can manage demographic dividend for the future, India and Indians will be great. Global communities are depending on us, Indians for global services,” he said.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president mentioned that Europe, China, Japan and other countries are facing the problem of aging population is catching very fast.
“In India, aging population problem already started in South India,” he said.
Replying to a query, he said this was not at all a political issue.
“If you can go through worldwide, wealth creation and population are conflicting with each other. When you are getting more money, automatically you won’t have any children. That is where I used to say IT professionals, double income, no kids, let us enjoy. Everybody will think like that. That is where globally countries have failed,” he said.
The TDP chief said demographic management and delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies are separate issues.
“Delimitation is a continuous process. Once in 25 years. Now there is reservation for women also. We have to accommodate. How they are going to do it, policies we will discuss when the time comes,” he said, replying to a question about the apprehension being expressed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that Lok Sabha seats in South India will come down.
Regarding Hindi imposition, Chandrababu Naidu reaffirmed that language should be a tool for communication rather than a barrier to knowledge. He encouraged the promotion of multiple languages and highlighted the necessity for education in one’s mother tongue while also acknowledging Hindi’s role in national integration.
The Chief Minister discusses pending bills with the Home Minister Amit Shah. He underscored the pressing issue of land grabbing in Andhra Pradesh, stating that six out of 10 legal cases in the state pertained to land disputes. He urged the Centre to clear the ‘AP Land Grabbing Prohibition Bill’, citing Gujarat’s existing model as a precedent. He stressed that the burden of proof should rest on the grabber to curb illegal activities.
He addressed law enforcement concerns, including the prevalence of bootlegging and illicit drug cultivation.
He praised the ‘EAGLE Force’ for effectively controlling the cultivation of ganja and reiterated his government’s zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and heinous crimes.
To support farmers, Chandrababu Naidu assured incentives for alternative crops to replace ganja cultivation and pledged continued efforts to eliminate illicit activities.
The Chief Minister discussed Andhra Pradesh’s financial situation with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
He criticised the previous government for leaving behind Rs. 10 lakh crore in outstanding arrears, creating a saturated loan scenario.
Despite this, he highlighted the state’s recent economic growth, reporting a 12.94 per cent increase overall and a 15.86 per cent growth in the agricultural sector. He stressed the need to boost the service sector and achieve a sustainable 15% growth rate to create wealth rather than relying on borrowing.
The CM underscored the importance of interlinking rivers to prevent water wastage and provide irrigation to drought-prone regions like Rayalaseema. He proposed linking Polavaram to Banakacharla, along with the Vamsadhara, Nagavalli, Penna, and Krishna rivers, ensuring efficient water distribution. He stated that 200 TMC of water, which currently goes to waste, could be diverted for agricultural and drinking purposes.
The Chief Minister requested Nitin Gadkari about the completion of the Amaravati Outer Ring Road, spanning 189 km, and emphasized the need for an 8-lane ORR similar to the one built in Hyderabad.
He also discussed the importance of an eastern bypass road in Andhra Pradesh and proposed solutions to address traffic congestion at Srisailam, including the construction of elevated roads. Further discussions included the Vizag to Mulapet coastal road and a direct Hyderabad to Machilipatnam port road, with DPRs currently in preparation.
–IANS
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