PANAJI
The BJP-government’s flagship scheme -- Laadli Laxmi -- has undergone yet another amendment, this time a major change that bars Laadlis from availing financial benefits for higher education and entrepreneurship.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant sought an amendment, which soon got financial approval for implementation this week.
Sources told The Goan that the Department of Women & Child Development, which is the implementing agency, will hereafter accept applications for the purpose of marriages only, upon producing valid marriage registration certificates by the respective beneficiary.
“Any application for higher education or entrepreneurship will be rejected. The scheme is (partly) reverted to its old format when financial assistance was provided on the occasion of a girl’s marriage. The other set of conditions however remain the same,” said a senior government official.
The department has so far cleared close to 78,000 applications under the three categories “ marriages, education and entrepreneurship, till date. “We had a minimal number of applications for the other two categories, and all these were cleared. Unmarried applicants’ forms, which are currently pending with the department, on the date of the issue of this notification, will be cleared after they produce their respective valid marriage certificates,” the source added.
Unmarried girls who availed of the scheme for further studies, will get their remaining share of financial assistance at the time of their marriage. "Their balance amount is safe in Fixed Deposit under the Scheme," the official said.
The beneficiaries under this scheme are paid Rs 1 lakh as financial assistance provided they fulfill the criteria laid down by the government.
The scheme was one of the election promises in 2012 by the BJP and then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar was quick to implement the scheme along with Griha Aadhar, and a few other promises.
