File photoGangtok, Jan 17: For the first time, Sikkim government led by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has announced various incentives to encourage people of the indigenous communities to produce more children.

Speaking at Maghe Sankranti function in Jorethang town of South Sikkim on Sunday, CM Tamang said the population of indigenous communities has dwindled with Sikkim’s “fertility rate registering the lowest growth rate at one child per woman in recent years.”

According to the latest figures, there are 2,27,406 male voters and 2,23,144 female voters at present in Sikkim.

The CM said his government has been encouraging people of the indigenous communities to have more children to improve the declining fertility rate.

“We have already provided 365 days maternity leave to women in service and 30 days paternity leave to encourage employees to raise babies. We have also proposed to give one increment to the women employees for giving birth to a second baby and two increments for producing a third child,” he informed.

He further said, “The government has launched the IVF facility in hospitals in Sikkim to encourage women to conceive babies in the event of having problem to do so naturally, for which a grant of Rs 3 lakh will be given to all mothers producing children through this procedure.”

Tamang also informed that so far 38 women have conceived through IVF facility and some of them have become mothers too.

At the same time, he slammed the previous Pawan Kumar Chamling’s government for encouraging the Sikkimese people to raise small families with one child.