No government jobs for people with more than 2 children, warns Assam cabinet; decision to be implemented in 2021

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet on Monday decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after 1 January, 2021. The important decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held late Monday evening that also adopted a New Land Policy, which will give three bighas of agricultural land to landless indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house. [caption id=“attachment_4193461” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. PTI[/caption] A communique from the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s public relations cell stated that those having more than two children will not be considered for government jobs with effect from 1 January, 2021 as per the small family norm. In September 2017, the Assam Assembly had passed the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ that specified that job candidates with two children only would be eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to strictly follow the two children family norm. “New Land Policy was adopted. Three bighas of land will be given to landless indigenous people. Landless people will be offered half a bigha to construct their houses. These cannot be sold for 15 years,” the CMO statement said. The Cabinet meeting also decided to increase the bus fares in the state by 25 percent, it added.