Kerala panel’s 2-child norm idea ridiculous: Azad

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday termed the suggestion to deny privileges to those families in Kerala who do not follow the two-child norm as “ridiculous”, saying the states cannot provide benefits on the basis of the number of children that a family has.

“It (the recommendation) is not being implemented anywhere. Anybody can say anything but the state will not provide on the basis of the number of children a family has. It is not possible. It is ridiculous,” he said.

“The state will not do anything like this,” he asserted.

Azad was replying to questions on the recommendations made by former Supreme Court Judge V R Krishna Iyer-headed Commission on the Rights and Welfare of Women and Children.

Besides suggesting that families having more than two children should be barred from enjoying government benefits, the panel has recommended punishment for those who abet violation of the two-child norm.

The commission’s report has recommended enacting a law — The Kerala Women’s Code Bill 2011 — whose provisions, like a fine of Rs 10,000 or three-month imprisonment for those working against family planning, have not gone down well with Muslim and Christian groups.

Sensing the mood, Kerala’s Congress government has, therefore, announced that it would go for wider consultations before going ahead with the draft.