AFTER WOOING the youths with unemployment allowance, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has set his eyes on the vote bank of the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The State government has planned to launch Balika Shri Yojana for Schedule Caste girls. Around three lakh Schedule Caste girls up to three years of age will be covered under the programme.
Though the girls are not voters, their parents will definitely decide the fate of the candidates in their respective constituencies.
The State government wants to send a clear-cut message to the Dalit voters that not only BSP supremo Mayawati but the Samajwadi Party government too is concerned about their welfare.
Women Welfare and Child Development (WWCD) has been entrusted with the task to launch the scheme. In the first phase one lakh girls will be covered under the scheme. The State government has already released Rs 10 crore for the purpose.
All the Schedule Caste girls will get Rs 1,000 from WWCD but not in cash. They will get National Saving Certificate of Rs 800 and the remaining Rs 200 will be deposited in the insurance scheme.
A WWCD official said the NSC would mature when the girl reached the age of 18. She would get an amount of Rs 2 lakh under the insurance policy if either the mother or father died before she reached 18 years age.
{{/usCountry}}A WWCD official said the NSC would mature when the girl reached the age of 18. She would get an amount of Rs 2 lakh under the insurance policy if either the mother or father died before she reached 18 years age.
{{/usCountry}}WWCD officials have prepared the list of the districts according to the percentage of the Dalit population. The BSY will be launched in those districts first that have a high percentage of Dalit population.
Child Development Minister Ram Govind Chaudhary says the scheme is cent per cent State funded. “Poor Dalits will benefit from the programme. No such scheme was launched for the welfare of Dalit girls during Mayawati’s rule”, he said.