NASHIK: The Women and Child Welfare Department has introduced several schemes for the welfare of girls. However, after seeing their usefulness, it is coming to light that the concerned scheme has been transferred to the Social Welfare Department or the Education Department. After running around two-three offices, certain beneficiaries get the benefit of certain schemes. The Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree Yojana has been started from August 1st, 2017 by the Women and Child Welfare Department.
The government provides financial assistance under this scheme. Under this scheme, a girl gets Rs 50,000 for a period of 18 years and if she has two daughters, Rs 25,000 is given to each girl. Families with a monthly income of up to Rs 7.5 lakh and only after submitting a family planning certificate get this benefit. The family can withdraw the accrued interest every six years.
About Rs 20 crore (FY 2017-18) and Rs. 14 crore (FY 2018-19) were disbursed for the creation of term deposits. The scheme was advertised everywhere. However, in Nashik district, only fifteen to twenty people a year have come forward to avail the benefits of this scheme. The second scheme is Savitribai Phule Adoption Parent Scheme. It’s also with the social welfare department. The girls from Class Vth to XIIth get Rs. 600 per annum in the form of a scholarship.
The scholarship amount is Rs two a day. The daily expenses of today’s girls go beyond Rs 30 to 40. Therefore, no one has shown interest in the scheme. Asmita plans to provide low-cost sanitary pads. It is implemented by Gram Panchayat. No one usually goes to the Gram Panchayat for cheap sanitary pads. Some villages have that facility. But no one turns to him except for certain women. Students from Class Ist to VIIIth are given free uniforms.
It benefits girls in rural areas. Earlier, it was decided to give free bicycles to girls. But for the last five years, those bicycles have also been provided through the Manav Vikas Yojana. Therefore, this scheme is no longer with the Department of Women and Child Welfare. There are free travel passes to school, karate classes for self-defence but for the last two years, they too have been stopped due to corona. There is a need to plan the implementation of these schemes.
