Sikkim government announces incentives for indigenous communities to produce more children

Sikkim government led by chief minister Prem Singh Tamang announced various incentives to encourage the people of the indigenous communities to produce more children.

Singh while speaking at Maghe Sankranti function in Jorethang town of South Sikkim on Sunday said, "the number of indigenous people is dwindling as Sikkim's "fertility rate registering the lowest growth rate at one child per woman in recent years."

There are 2,27,406 male voters and 2,23,144 female voters at present in Sikkim.

He said to encourage more children government has taken several schemes.
"We have already provided 365 days maternity leave to women in service and 30 days paternity leave to make employees to encourage them to raise babies. We have also proposed to give one increment to the women employees for giving birth to a second baby and two increments for producing a third child. "

The chief minister said, "The government has launched the IVF facility in hospitals in Sikkim to encourage women to conceive babies in the event of having problem to do so naturally for which a grant of Rs 3 lakh will be given to all mothers producing children through this procedure,".

Tamang informed that so far 38 women have conceived through IVF facility and some of them have become mothers too.

Tamang criticised the previous Pawan Kumar Chamling government for encouraging small families with one child.