Li 
More than 5,400 mothers across Bhutan have already been identified for the government’s Third Child Plus Programme. Project Management Unit (PMU) formed for the programme is now verifying their details, with the first monthly allowance of Nu 10,000 expected to be disbursed by the end of this month.
A total of 5,458 mothers with a third child under the age of three have been identified using census records.
Before payments are made, officials are verifying bank account details and will contact each eligible mother to confirm their eligibility and obtain consent.
Mothers will know they have been approved once they receive a call from the Project Management Unit.
Trashigang has the highest number of eligible mothers, while Gasa has the fewest.
Officials say the programme is intended to support families rather than forcing people to have more children.
“The government is not imposing on parents to give birth to a third child just because we are providing such an allowance. It is an individual’s right to decide whether to give birth or not. The programme was simply initiated to help the parents with their child,” said Tashi, the focal officer for the programme, OCASC.
To qualify, the child must be registered in the census and be the third or subsequent child from the mother’s side. Eligible mothers do not need to apply. Project Management Unit will contact them directly after verifying with census records.
In cases where the third pregnancy results in twins, both children will be eligible. However, if the second pregnancy results in twins, only one child will qualify as the third child under the programme.
Parents are grateful for the programme, which is expected to ease their financial burden.
Phuentsho Wangdi, a parent from Bumthang said, “With the allowance provided by the government, we can save the money for our child’s education. We can deposit the money in the recurring account, and this will help with the child’s expenditure.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the programme was introduced in response to Bhutan’s declining birth rate. The country’s total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1.
Annual births have dropped by 34 per cent over the past decade, from over 11,000 in 2015 to little over 8,000 in 2024.
Births of third-order and higher children have also declined by 27 per cent since 2020.
The annual estimated budget for the allowance is around Nu 600 M.
The government has allocated Nu 31 M for the programme in the 2026-27 financial year. An additional funding will be required as more than 5,400 mothers are currently eligible for the allowance.
Singye Dema
Edited by Sangay Chezom
