The Jharkhand government is planning to implement a direct cash transfer incentive of ₹1,000 per month to about four million women in the state, on the lines of the West Bengal government’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, starting from July-August this year, officials said on Saturday.
Indication of this effect first came on Thursday when incumbent Jharkhand chief minister (CM) Champai Soren said that he instructed officials to devise and initiate a cash incentive scheme every month for all women in the age group of above 25 years and below 50 years across Jharkhand.
He has also directed officials to create a dedicated portal for this scheme, christened the ‘Mukhamantri Bahan Beti Swabalamban Yojna’ (MBBSY).
“We always want to empower women and make them financially strong and self-dependent. We are going to provide cash assistance to every woman in the state in the age group of 25-50 years every month. I have directed the officials concerned to implement it fast. This scheme will be operational by next month,” the CM told the media after a review meeting of the women, child development, and social welfare department on Thursday in Ranchi.
As per rough government estimates, this scheme will cover about four million women, given the age-group ceiling of 25-50 years, and the state government will have to spend an additional ₹4,000- ₹5,000 crore every year.
{{/usCountry}}As per rough government estimates, this scheme will cover about four million women, given the age-group ceiling of 25-50 years, and the state government will have to spend an additional ₹4,000- ₹5,000 crore every year.
{{/usCountry}}Political analysts said the scheme is a direct leaf out of Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ scheme, which paid rich electoral dividends to the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, and the step by Soren is being viewed as another measure to woo women voters ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections in four months.
“We are working on a war footing to start this scheme for all the financially weak and needy women from all categories and castes. The effort is to start collecting applications from the aspirants from July 1 and transfer cash benefits of ₹1,000 per month to their accounts directly from August,” a senior government official told HT on Saturday, requesting anonymity.
In full election mode, the CM also launched the ‘Go live of Student Application Module’ of Guruji Credit Card Yojna on Friday.
“Our government has started Guruji Credit Card, Mukhyamantri Shiksha Protsahan, Manki Munda Scholarship, and many such schemes for loans and subsidies for higher education, technical education like engineering, medical, law, and competitive exams. Under this ‘Go Live...’ module, such students who have qualified for higher educational institutions can apply, and the government will give them ₹15 lakh loan online,” Soren told the media on Friday late evening.