Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje kicks off distribution of 'Bhamashah' cards

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Monday kicked off the distribution of the 'Bhamashah' cards among women belonging to BPL category in Ajmer to ensure that they get monetary benefits of various government schemes.

The cards, distributed under the Bhamashah scheme that was relaunched in August this year with the aim to financially empower BPL women, will help the beneficiaries to withdraw money transfered to their bank accounts under various schemes.

According to Raje, under this scheme Rs 2,000 will be credited in bank accounts in two installments, and other welfare schemes will be routed through it. "With the Bhamashah scheme, we have tried to make BPL women heads of their families," Raje said at the function to distribute 'Bhamashah' cards.

The Bhamasha scheme was initially conceptualised in 2007-08 during Raje's first tenure as CM and Rs 160 crore were transferred to 29 lakh women card holders. But it could not reach them because the scheme was scrapped after Congress came to power after 2008 elections.

Raje said that the work of card distribution to one crore beneficiaries will be completed by June-July next year. Along with the monetary benefits of various schemes, government is contemplating to link this card with items available at ration shops. The chief minister said that the card would be necessary at the time of distribution of ration at fair price shops in near future.