Bihar govt announces to give Rs15,000 to girls and Rs10,000 to boys born at flood relief camps

PATNA—The Bihar government in a significant move has announced to give more cash incentive to pregnant women on giving births to girl children.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday made this special announcement for the pregnant women staying in relief camps due to floods in the areas.

As per his announcement, Rs15,000 will be given to the pregnant women on giving birth to girl child and Rs10,000 on bearing a male child.

Social scientists describe it a brilliant initiative which, they say, will end gender discrimination in the society where many couples still prefer sons to daughters.

The chief minister has also been launching variety of measures to increase literacy rate among the women saying it will ultimately bring down the fertility rate in the state.

Addressing the Independence Day function in Patna on Sunday, the chief minister said a total of 5,438 plus two schools have been set up in all panchayats across the state while in 2,948 panchayats, teaching for Class Nine and Class X has been started.

“There is a direct link between female education and fertility rate. Surveys have found that if the wife is a matriculate, the fertility rate remains at 2 percent but when she is an intermediate pass-out, it came down to 1.6 in Bihar,” the chief minister said.

He said currently the fertility rate in Bihar has come down to three percent from 4.3 percent in 2005 while the government is constantly trying to bring it near 2 percent.