Population control is a major challenge in India

Agartala, Nov 12: Concerned with India's population growth, Bihar Assembly Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhry today said it was a major challenge before a nation which has a multi party government system.

Addressing a function organised by the United Nations Population Fund-India on the occasion of releasing of ''state of world population report 2008 reaching common ground for culture, gender and human rights,'' Mr Choudhry discussed the obstacles in controlling the growing population in a country like India having multi party government.

''In a country with single party government it is easy to control the population growth as the policies framed by the government are implemented easily and effectively,'' he observed.

He also referred to the difference of opinion over the population, saying the concept varies in the society as on one hand it is being considered as resource while somewhere it is a burden.

Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Renu Devi said development would be a distant dream without controlling population in which human rights can also play a key role.

''Our culture and traditions should not be ignored while controlling the population,'' she maintained.

State programme coordinator of the UNPF Chandra Kant Mishra revealed some facts regarding population of Bihar informing that the decadal growth rate of population was 25 per cent.

With 944 females per thousand males, the sex ratio in the state was around the national average, he said adding that maternal mortality rate was 371 per lakh while infant mortality rate was 58 per thousand birth.

UNI