The Assam Cabinet on Monday announced that government jobs will be out of bounds for people with more than two children, PTI reported. A communique issued by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the policy will come into effect from January 1, 2021.

In September 2017, the 126-member Assam Assembly had passed a population policy. The “Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’’ specified that candidates with two children would only be eligible for government employment and the existing government employees were directed to follow the two children family norm.

“Implementing the population policy was necessary, given the pressure on land and resources in Assam,” an unidentified minister told The Hindu after the Cabinet meeting.

Other decisions taken by the Cabinet included increase in bus fares, adoption of a new land policy, and to provide Rs 300 per month to widows under a scheme named after educationist Indira Miri.

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