Addressing a public meeting at Narsannapeta in Srikakulam district, CM Naidu said the government would announce further details within a month. (File Photo)Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced incentives of Rs 40,000 for the birth of a fourth child and Rs 30,000 for a third child to reverse the state’s declining population trend.Although he had once advocated population control measures, CM Naidu said the time had now come for society to work together to increase the birth rate.Addressing a public meeting at Narsannapeta in Srikakulam district, Naidu said the government would announce further details within a month. “I have made a new decision. We will provide Rs 30,000 immediately after the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child. Isn’t this the right decision?” Naidu said on the sidelines of the ‘Swarna Andhra, Swach Andhra’ cleanliness programme.ALSO READ | High number of elderly, rising faster, lower fertility rates: Why Andhra, TN are talking of more childrenDeclining population growthNaidu’s latest announcement follows an earlier proposal to provide a Rs 25,000 incentive for the birth of a second child. On March 5, the CM informed the Assembly that the state government was considering an incentive of Rs 25,000 for couples having a second child.However, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav later told news agency PTI that the government had decided to extend the incentives to families having a third child and beyond.According to Naidu, some couples are opting to have only one child as their incomes rise, while others choose to have a second child only if their firstborn is not a boy.As a result, he warned that the state’s population growth rate is declining and stressed the importance of maintaining the replacement-level Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1.Story continues below this adNaidu noted that a population remains stable only when the average fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman. He claimed that declining populations and ageing societies in several countries have negatively affected their economies.Past remarks on population growth policyThis is not the first time the TDP leader and NDA ally has spoken about the proposed population growth policyIn July last year, Chief Minister Naidu said his government would soon launch a policy to encourage people to have more children, citing concerns that South India’s low birth rate could affect its representation in Parliament.“We will launch a robust policy on population growth soon. Population is our strongest economic resource. The world is increasingly reliant on countries with large populations,” he said.Story continues below this adIn October 2024, he had warned against the effects of Andhra’s ageing population and said his government was contemplating legislation to incentivise families to have more children.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd