MARGAO
Saying that her statement on the Ladli Laxmi scheme now stands vindicated with the Chairperson of the Goa Commission for Women Subhalaxmi Naik stating the scheme has become an instrument for dowry harassment, Goa Congress Mahila Chief Pratima Coutinho on Saturday demanded an amendment to the scheme to detach marriage from its ambit.
Addressing the media, Pratima also took potshots at the BJP Mahila leadership for only defending party leaders and having no plan for women empowerment and upliftment in the state. “When the Goa Mahila Congress had dubbed the Ladli Laxmi shceme as dowry death scheme, the BJP women leadership had hit back at us and had even threatened to lodge a complaint before the Goa Women’s Commission. Today, the Chairperson of the Commission has said the scheme has become an instrument of dowry harassment. BJP Mahila leaders such as Kunda Chodankar and others should at least understand how the scheme is being misused for dowry harassment,” Pratima said, challenging the BJP Mahila Mandal to lodge a complaint against the Chairperson of the Commission.
In her address, Congress Mahila Vice-president Beena Naik said that Ladli Laxmi scheme may have the avowed objective of protecting the interest of the girl child, but hastened to add that the scheme has been used against the girl at the time of marriage by the in-laws.
She demanded an amendment to the scheme wherein the women gets the promised amount well before her marriage, giving no room for the in-laws to mete out harassment for the money.
Mahila Congress District President Savitri Kavlekar also lashed out at the BJP Mahila Mandal for not taking up the interest of women, but only defending their party leaders against public criticism.
