Seethalakshmi S.
6 Dec, 2006 Times News Network
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BANGALORE: Rs 15 crore accrued but no beneficiaries. This is what the department of women and child development has discovered.
After religiously depositing funds for several years under the Namma Magalu Namma Shakti scheme, to be disbursed to girls from poor families once they attain 18 years, the government has found that the girls who enrolled as beneficiaries for the scheme have disappeared!
"Of the 44,000 cheques that the government readied to be distributed to the girls, 25,000 cheques came back because the families had migrated.We could not trace the girls.With absolutely no tracking system, the scheme was being continued without keeping a check on the movement of beneficiaries. The money was saved but majority of the girls may never benefit from the government's noble intentions,"official sources told TOI.
The Department of Women and Child Welfare has now begun a head-hunt for the girls to disburse the Rs 15 crore that has accrued for the last several years and lying in the government account.
Having learnt a bitter lesson, the department is not taking any chances with the Rs 234-crore Bhagyalakshmi Scheme, where the government deposits Rs 10,000 for girls from BPL families, born after March 31, 2006.
On an average, four lakh girls are born every year in Karnataka of which two lakh belong to the below poverty category.
"It is imperative that we evolve a child-tracking system, so that the scheme benefits the girls. We will involve 10 departments to keep track of the girl right from her birth till she attains 18 years,"Ranjani Srikumar, principal secretary, women and child development department said.
As a first step, the department will create a unique identification number for each of the girl child enrolled in the scheme.
"The partner financial institution will develop a bio-metric system, so that there is no duplication when the girl attains 18 years of age. A central database will be created so that respective departments update the girl's progress from time to time,"she said.
Besides the lumpsum amount when they attain 18 years, the girls will be paid Rs 300 from class one to three per annum, Rs 500 (class four), Rs 600 (class 5), Rs 700 (class 6 and 7), Rs 800 (class 8) and Rs 1,000 (class 9 and 10) "We will lay down guidelines for parents who enroll under the scheme.
They must give an undertaking that the girl will not be married off before she attains 18 years and will not dropout of the school midway. The maturity amount will be forfeited if we find that the girl has been married off,"she said.
6 Dec, 2006 Times News Network
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
BANGALORE: Rs 15 crore accrued but no beneficiaries. This is what the department of women and child development has discovered.
After religiously depositing funds for several years under the Namma Magalu Namma Shakti scheme, to be disbursed to girls from poor families once they attain 18 years, the government has found that the girls who enrolled as beneficiaries for the scheme have disappeared!
"Of the 44,000 cheques that the government readied to be distributed to the girls, 25,000 cheques came back because the families had migrated.We could not trace the girls.With absolutely no tracking system, the scheme was being continued without keeping a check on the movement of beneficiaries. The money was saved but majority of the girls may never benefit from the government's noble intentions,"official sources told TOI.
The Department of Women and Child Welfare has now begun a head-hunt for the girls to disburse the Rs 15 crore that has accrued for the last several years and lying in the government account.
Having learnt a bitter lesson, the department is not taking any chances with the Rs 234-crore Bhagyalakshmi Scheme, where the government deposits Rs 10,000 for girls from BPL families, born after March 31, 2006.
On an average, four lakh girls are born every year in Karnataka of which two lakh belong to the below poverty category.
"It is imperative that we evolve a child-tracking system, so that the scheme benefits the girls. We will involve 10 departments to keep track of the girl right from her birth till she attains 18 years,"Ranjani Srikumar, principal secretary, women and child development department said.
As a first step, the department will create a unique identification number for each of the girl child enrolled in the scheme.
"The partner financial institution will develop a bio-metric system, so that there is no duplication when the girl attains 18 years of age. A central database will be created so that respective departments update the girl's progress from time to time,"she said.
Besides the lumpsum amount when they attain 18 years, the girls will be paid Rs 300 from class one to three per annum, Rs 500 (class four), Rs 600 (class 5), Rs 700 (class 6 and 7), Rs 800 (class 8) and Rs 1,000 (class 9 and 10) "We will lay down guidelines for parents who enroll under the scheme.
They must give an undertaking that the girl will not be married off before she attains 18 years and will not dropout of the school midway. The maturity amount will be forfeited if we find that the girl has been married off,"she said.
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