Daijiworld Media Network – Amaravati

Amaravati, May 16: N Chandrababu Naidu has announced financial incentives of Rs 30,000 for the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child as part of efforts to address declining population growth in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a public meeting at Narsannapeta in Srikakulam district during the ‘Swarna Andhra, Swach Andhra’ cleanliness programme, the chief minister said the government would soon introduce detailed guidelines for the scheme within a month.

“I have made a new decision. We will provide Rs 30,000 immediately after the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child. Isn’t this the right decision?” Naidu said.

Although Naidu had earlier advocated population control measures, he said the current demographic situation required society to encourage higher birth rates.

The latest announcement comes after an earlier proposal by the state government to offer Rs 25,000 as an incentive for couples having a second child. On March 5, Naidu had informed the Assembly that the government was considering such a measure.

Later, Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav clarified that the incentives would be extended to families having a third child and beyond.

Naidu expressed concern that rising incomes were leading some couples to opt for only one child, while others were choosing a second child only if the firstborn was not a boy.

He warned that the declining birth rate could affect the state’s demographic balance and stressed the need to maintain the replacement-level Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1.

According to the chief minister, a population remains stable only when the average fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman. He also pointed to examples of ageing populations and declining birth rates in several countries, claiming such trends had negatively impacted their economies.

This is not the first time the Telugu Desam Party leader has spoken about the need to encourage population growth.

In July last year, Naidu said his government would formulate a robust population growth policy, citing concerns that South India’s low birth rate could eventually affect its parliamentary representation.

In October 2024, he had also warned about the long-term effects of Andhra Pradesh’s ageing population and indicated that the government was considering legislation to encourage families to have more children.