The state government is soon to introduce an insurance scheme for girl children in Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The girl will get an amount of `1 lakh for education after completing 18 years of age. However, the scheme is yet to get an approval from the state cabinet.
The scheme, which has been named ‘Sukanya’, is the brainchild of women and child development minister Varsha Gaikwad. According to it, if a girl is born in a BPL family after January 2014 the government will deposit an amount of `21,200 in her name in a bank.
“The objective of the scheme is to provide monetary help for higher education of the girls who belongs to economically and socially backward families. The scheme will provide `1 lakh on maturity after the girl completes 18 years of age. The amount can only be used for education purposes,” a senior officer from the women and child development department said
“The purpose of including this condition on the use of amount was to force the family to allow the girl complete her higher studies,” added the official.
Earlier, the finance department along with finance minister Ajit Pawar had objected to the scheme due to the burden on the state exchequer. However, this time, the women and child development department is optimistic about getting a green signal from the finance department too.
More than two lakh girls are born every year in BPL families. All of them are expected to get coverage under this scheme. The estimated cost of ‘Sukanya’ is approximately `576 crore.