On World Population Day, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the ‘Pillale Sampada’ (Children are Wealth) scheme aimed at increasing the state’s fertility rate. Under the scheme, families will receive Rs 30,000 as financial assistance for the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for the birth of a fourth.
Naidu, who has repeatedly expressed concern over the state’s declining population, said the initiative is intended to encourage population growth and ensure demographic stability.
Addressing the gathering in Vijayawada, he said falling fertility rates and a rapidly ageing population pose a serious challenge not only to Andhra Pradesh but to all southern states. He argued that these states would struggle to achieve their development goals without adequate human resources.
The Chief Minister’s push for larger families has drawn criticism from several quarters, with concerns that incentivising childbirth could place a greater burden on women. Responding to such concerns, Naidu said raising children should not be seen as the sole responsibility of women but as a shared responsibility within families.
He also said the focus should now shift from population control to population preservation, arguing that maintaining a healthy and growing population is essential for the state’s long-term development.
“The future belongs to societies with adequate populations. Development is possible only when there are enough people,” he said.
