Maharashtra government's scheme for girl child yet to see daylight

Maharashtra government's ambitious scheme Manjhi Kanya Bhagyashree, which was launched by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and women and child welfare minister Pankaja Munde on Women's Day with much pomp and show is far from being implemented.

Three months later, sources in the department claim that the file related to the scheme has been sent back by the finance department on three occasions with objections and queries. Besides several queries, the finance department has asked the department of social welfare to check if a similar scheme already exists.

"The scheme at present is at a primary stage. We are hopeful that all the hurdles in its way will be cleared soon," said a senior officer from the department. The new government in its first budget has already earmarked an amount of Rs 200 crore for the scheme.

The new government launched the Bhagyashree scheme in place of the Sukanya scheme, which caters to girls from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. As per the Sukanya scheme, the state government was supposed to deposit an amount of Rs 21,200 in bank for a girl child born in a BPL family. The scheme was aimed at providing Rs1 lakh on maturity after the girl completed 18 years of age.

However, the new scheme promises a fixed amount on the birth of first girl child and even a higher price if a couple decides to go for family planning after the birth of a second girl child. At its launch, Munde had called it a mere re-design of the existing Sukanya scheme which was launched by the then Congress-NCP government in 2013 to encourage education among girls from economically weak background. The new scheme, however, focused more on female foeticide.

The Bhagyashree scheme would be linked to the Centre's 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme. Bollywood actress Bhagyashree is the brand ambassador of the scheme.