Chandigarh May 17:- In a bid to uplift the social and educational status of girls and to improve the declining sex ratio along with the school drop out rate among girls a special program has been chalked out.
Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal social security, Women and Child Development Minister Punjab disclosed here today that the girl child born on or after 1-4-2011, of those families who had adopted the two child norms and family planning method and whose income is below 30,000/- per annum would be eligible for the scheme. Mr. Mittal further informed that the department would invest Rs. 20,000/- per beneficiaries with life insurance corporation of India as premium. On birth of newly born girl child, the department would give Rs. 1100/-, after attaining the age of 1 & 2 years (after immunization), the female child would get Rs. 1200/- each, on third years she would be entitled for Rs. 1500/- and on her admission to 1st class, the department would deposit Rs. 1100/- in her bank account. On admission to classes 6th, 9th, 11th Rs. 2100/- each would be deposited by the department. On attaining adulthood, she would be entitled to get Rs. 21000/- as scholarship for furtherance of higher studies. Besides this, Mr. Mittal added that department would provide scholarship from class 1 to 6th Rs. 100/- per month amounting to 7200 and from class 7th to 12th the scholarship would be doubled i.e. Rs. 200/- P.M amounting to Rs. 14,400/- in six years.
The Minister further said that Rs. 15000/- would be given from 13th finance commission grants and Rs. 5000/- would be borne by the Government of Punjab. The target is to cover 34500 beneficiaries, Rs. 1.75 crore has been earmarked for various publicity schemes under information, Education and communication activities.
He explained that each youth club would be given a grant of Rs. 5000/- under the scheme for youth centre. An expenditure of Rs. 2.50 crore would be earmarked. To provide higher education orphan girls in the state, Rs. 2 crore would be provided for this purpose.
He added that Rs. 1 crore has been earmarked for giving grants to 15 NGOs (Rs. 2 lac per NGO) for generating awareness regarding PNDT act and for their efforts to improve sex ratio in the state.
