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Bhagyashree scheme for girl child may roll out from April

The scheme aims at giving benefits to a below poverty line (BPL) couple with only one girl child by giving cash rewards. The benefits will be reduced to half if the couple goes for a second girl child. In case there is a male child in the family, all benefits will be discontinued.

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The state government's ambitious scheme Manjhi Kanya Bhagyashree, which aims at encouraging celebration of the girl child, is expected to roll out from April. Announced on March 8, 2015, the Women's Day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government finally passed the Rs200-crore scheme in the winter assembly session at Nagpur.

The scheme aims at giving benefits to a below poverty line (BPL) couple with only one girl child by giving cash rewards. The benefits will be reduced to half if the couple goes for a second girl child. In case there is a male child in the family, all benefits will be discontinued.

"We hope that the scheme will roll out by April," said a senior officer. The scheme, which will run in concurrence with the existing Sukanya scheme, promises to provide Rs5,000 per month to the mother of a girl child as soon as she is born and until the child attains the age of five years. During that time, the girl child will be given Rs2,000. This amount will be increased to Rs2,500 till the child passes Class V. From Class VI to XII, she would be given Rs3,000 per year.

On completion of 18 years, the girl would be given Rs1 lakh, but only if she is not married by then. Also, Rs10,000 of the sanctioned Rs1 lakh must be spent on the girl's skill development training. The scheme is applicable only to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

Furthermore, to promote skill development among young girls, the department has introduced a new rider in the Sukanya scheme. At present, the government deposits Rs21,000 in the account of a girl child soon after her birth. It also provides an insurance cover of up to Rs1 lakh. As per the new clause, it will be mandatory for the family to spend a minimum of Rs10,000 on the girl's skill development from the aforementioned fund.

The scheme was first announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and women and child welfare minister Pankaja Munde in March this year.

Actor Bhagyashree was the brand ambassador of the scheme, which initially saw several hurdles due to huge monetary demands. Sources claimed the finance department had put up several objections on the scheme which delayed it by a few months.

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