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Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram on Wednesday asserted that the Tamil Nadu government should not be encouraging a third child in families while also suggesting that maternal support is crucial, paternal leave policies require equal legislative attention.

Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram, in a post on X, elaborated his stance concerning household economics and government family welfare schemes. He wrote, "While maternity leave is most welcome, paternity leave should also be considered, but the government should not be encouraging a third child in families. Do families have the resources to support a 3rd child?" His remarks came after the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Vijay, announced extending 365 days of maternity leave for women state government employees for a third child and enhanced benefits for MLAs.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore welcomed the extension of maternity leave by the Tamil Nadu government and requested the state's Health Minister to hear and consider the views of various stakeholders before taking a final decision.

He said, "The extension of maternity leave by the Tamil Nadu government is a welcome step. Tamil Nadu has been a very successful state largely because it adhered to the two-child norm...if there is any shift toward a third-child norm, I hope the Cabinet decides through careful and rightful deliberation."

"Tamil Nadu's family planning initiatives have been a proven success story, and any potential alteration to this policy must be thoroughly discussed in an appropriate forum. I request the Tamil Nadu Health Minister to hear and consider the views of various stakeholders before taking a final decision," Manickam Tagore added.

On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Vijay, announced a series of welfare measures, including extending 365 days of maternity leave for women state government employees for a third child and enhanced benefits for MLAs. According to the announcement, women working in the state government will now be entitled to 365 days of maternity leave for a third child, bringing it in line with the leave available for the first two children.

However, opposing the announcement, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said that Tamil Nadu was the first state to follow family planning and encouraged couples to have no more than two children. "Tamil Nadu is the first state to follow family planning in a restricted sense. That is why we stopped at two children. It is better to have only two children in a family, which will help the family and enable the parents to bring up their children," the DMK leaders said.

Saying that the current TVK-led state government might be abandoning family planning, he added, "But if they are having a third child, it means they are abandoning the family planning programme. I don't understand the meaning of this. This government does not want family planning. That is the only thing I can infer from this."

Broader Welfare and Healthcare Announcements

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a series of major measures under Rule 110, covering milk procurement prices, medical education, healthcare infrastructure, and insurance coverage.

Boost to Medical Education

In the healthcare and medical education sector, the government has announced ₹351 crore for increasing student admission capacity in government medical colleges. A total of 6,098 additional seats will be created for developing healthcare professionals, including 660 B.Sc. Nursing seats, 1,925 additional seats in nursing colleges and schools; 2,778 seats across 12 paramedical courses; and 735 additional seats in medical courses. The announcement also states that seven new government nursing colleges will be established.

Infrastructure and Specialised Care

In Perambalur, a 400-bed world-class multi-speciality hospital will be established at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. The facility is intended to provide advanced medical treatment and healthcare services. Additional medical and surgical services for transgender persons will also be provided under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme in Chennai, Stanley, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Thiruvarur, Karur, and Kanyakumari.

Taken together, the announcements focus on improving the livelihoods of milk producers, expanding medical and nursing education, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, increasing access to insurance-funded treatment, and expanding specialised healthcare services across Tamil Nadu. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)