The Manipur government on Thursday said that no government benefits will be provided families having more than four children from now on, The Imphal Free Press reported.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The government said it will implement the four-child policy by approving the Manipur State Population Commission as an Ordinance.

An Ordinance is a temporary law passed by the president or a governor when Parliament or a state Assembly is not in session.

“The Ordinance, once enacted, would put a ceiling on the number of children a couple may have at four,” Tribal Affairs and Hills Minister Letpao Haokip said, according to The Sangai Express. “Any couple found having more than four children [from now on] would be delisted from all government schemes.”

Information and Public Relations Minister Sapam Ranjan Singh said that the Manipur Assembly had earlier unanimously adopted a private member resolution to establish a population commission in the state.

“MLA Kh Joykisan had moved the issue on the assembly floor concerned over the alleged infiltration of outsiders into the state, claiming that there was a population growth of 153.3% in the hill districts of Manipur from 1971 to 2001,” Ranjan said, according to The Imphal Free Press.

According to the Census in 2011, Manipur has a population of 28.56 lakh. In 2001, it was 22.93 lakh.

At Thursday’s meeting, the Manipur government also decided to strengthen the state’s Inner Line Permit system. This is a travel document that people from outside the state must show as they enter Manipur.

Ranjan said that it will be mandatory for non-locals to show their Aadhar cards and the mobile numbers linked with the Aadhaar card.