The Hindu : Pant wants corporate sector to help in population control

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2002

National

National

Pant wants corporate sector to help in population control

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI NOV. 11. The chairman of the National Commission on Population, K.C. Pant, today urged the corporate sector to put their "management skills'' to good use by adopting districts in States that were slow in reaching the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) level of 2.1 by 2010. These States were identified as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Padesh, Rajasthan and Orissa.

Mr. Pant, however, told representatives of the industry from Mumbai here that Information-Education-Communication (IEC) was "not critical at this point of time'' as awareness about the small family norm had improved in the country.

The chairman was responding to a presentation by representatives of a "group of Mumbai industrialists'' who have formed an NGO, Population First, "to help in the implementation of the National Population Policy''. They had formed a public trust with K. Mahendra as chairman, and had sought recognition from the Government for seeking national and international funding. They had suggested that the Government allocate special funds or divert part of its publicity funds for them to focus on IEC.

Asked about the funds available with them and what was being sought internationally, Mr. Mahendra said: "The funding was being worked out.''

Mr. Pant said the industry had a great deal of direct influence on employees, factory workers and dealers and through them with villagers. He urged the new NGO to use its influence with industry organisations, such as the CII, the FICCI and the ASSOCHAM, to carry forward the population message.

He said the management input from the industry could lead to a "cost-effective'' way of doing it. He particularly lauded the initiative to involve women in panchayats saying that this "would pay dividends.''

Krishna Singh, member-secretary with the Commission, said efforts would have to be coordinated on the ground with the States. She suggested that the new NGO could adopt in certain districts in rural and remote areas where the primary health care system needed attention.

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