Andhra CM Naidu once again flags falling birthrates

KUPPAM (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 6 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday once again flagged the falling birthrates and said India should not repeat the mistakes committed by other countries such as South Korea and Japan, where birthrates have plummeted.
Naidu said there should be a discussion in every home from tomorrow over birthrate and population management.
“We should not repeat the mistakes committed by other countries and be careful. Kuppam has also come to 1.5 (birth rate). It should be above two but has come to 1.5, which means it is decreasing. South Korea plummeted to 0.9 (birth rate) while Japan is facing even bigger issues,” said Naidu while unveiling the Kuppam Vision-2029 document in Chittoor district here, aimed at all-round development of the constituency.
Naidu represents the Kuppam segment in the assembly.
Akin to a similar vision at the state level, SwarnaAndhra@2047, the CM launched the vision of achieving a ‘Swarna Kuppam’ (golden Kuppam).
The CM said some couples are averse to having children nowadays because they do not want to share the money they earned and use those riches for their own enjoyment.
“Had your parents also thought like that, would you have come into this world now? Everybody should have clarity on this matter,” he said, reminding that childlessness was considered a stigma at one time.
Further, he noted that the world is a continuous process and society must go on unendingly.
Naidu in October last year, said there was a need to manage the population in Andhra Pradesh given that there will be an increase in the aging population.
“Till 2047, we will have the demographic dividend, there will be more youngsters. After 2047, there will be more old people if less than two children are given birth (per woman), then the population will reduce. If you (each woman) give birth to more than two children, then the population will increase,” Naidu had said.
Encompassing ‘Padu Sutralu’ (10 principles), Kuppam Vision-2029 aims to achieve zero poverty. These principles aim to create employment, manage population, skilling, achieve water security, fulfil farmers’ aspirations, adopt deep tech in all walks of life and others.
Moreover, Naidu noted that the government will focus on skilling, education and other initiatives for developing Kuppam.
Later, the TDP supremo launched a pilot project on PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana scheme at Nadimuru village in Kuppam constituency.
Under this scheme, the CM said every house in the constituency will be provided with solar panels at 100 per cent subsidy to supply power, and added that the government has decided to extend this programme across the state.
Naidu said the scheme offers subsidy at the rate of Rs 30,000 per kilo watt and beneficiaries can avail this facility up to 2 kilo watt. However, it will cost Rs 1.2 lakh to set up a 2 kilo watt solar power unit, which can generate up to 200 units of power per month, enabling consumers to meet their needs and supply excess power to the grid, among other benefits.
Emphasising that he gives primacy to solar and wind power, the CM said generating power in these two formats will slash tariffs. (PTI)