Jakhar for Sanjay’s birth-control plan

“In 60 years of independence, population growth hasn’t been controlled, neither has land under cultivation been expanded. Only one person suggested birth control measures to check the runaway population growth, Sanjay Gandhi,” Jakhar said. His comments come at an interesting time with the issue having come up in the run-up to the presidential poll.

Incidentally, while the UPA Government’s National Common Minimum Programme includes “a sharply targeted population control programme” to be launched in 150 high-fertility districts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later called for the phrase “population control” to be replaced by “population stabilisation.”

Even as he urged the Government to push co-operative farms, post-harvest technologies, transport facilities and agro-based industries, Jakhar also expressed his concern about the “rampant corruption” that allowed spurious seeds to be sold to farmers. “Those responsible should be hanged by a lamp-post,” he said.

Speaking after Jakhar, Chidambaram said, “As long as the average land holding of a farm household is one hectare, no farmer can become rich unless he strikes oil or gold. The solution needs to be found not on the farms, but off the farms.”

Ramesh, who delivered the keynote address, stressed that “an economy in boom and an agriculture in gloom is a dangerous brew”.