12 July,2011 06:40 AM IST | | Ravikiran Deshmukh
After failing to convince the finance department, the state Women and Child Development department has roped in the LIC for financial support for 'raise girl, get cash' scheme
It is shameful enough that the state has to tempt young couples with the lure of cash, to prevent them to mutilating female foetuses that they conceive.
But it is truly appalling that even when such last ditch attempts are being made to improve the faltering sex ratio in the state, the finance department is trying its best to wriggle out of its monetary commitments.
The finance department's reluctance to add support to the cause of the girl child has left the state's Women and Child Development (WCD) department baffled.
It appears that the former has been dragging its feet in the matter of providing monetary support to the schemes floated by the latter, to prevent abortion of female foetuses. Thankfully for all the state's unborn girls, WCD has a Plan B up its sleeve.
Under the first scheme, the WCD department had requested the finance department to finance a sum of Rs 5,000, for each girl child born below the poverty line (BPL).
This sum would be deposited by the state in the girl's name, at the time of her birth. The capital would accrue interest and grow to Rs 40,000 by the time the child turns 18, at which point, it would be claimed by the family.
The SWD has been arguing that the promise of this payment would work as an incentive for parents who would otherwise contemplate abortion of the female foetus.
The finance department, however, had expressed doubt over the efficacy of the scheme, refuting that the promised sum was too meagre to dissuade couples from aborting the foetuses after sex determination.
An official reportedly claimed that Rs 40,000 was too paltry a sum to lure couples who could afford Rs 7,000-8,000 on sonography for sex determination, and greater sums for abortions.
Considering the rationale of the argument, the WCD department initiated another plan, in which a higher capital of Rs 20,500 would be deposited in the name every girl child born BPL.
On reaching maturity at 18, the government would grant final the sum of Rs 1 lakh to the family, to safeguard the girl's future.
This time, however, the finance department did a quick volte-face, claiming that the requisitioned sum of Rs 280 crore, necessary to implement the plan, was too exorbitant.
In implementing these schemes, the department was trying to emulate similar initiatives undertaken by the state governments of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Bihar.
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While the Delhi government offers the highest incentive of Rs 45,000 for each child, Bihar deposits Rs 2,000 against each girl born in the state to a family BPL.
Plan B
Sensing that the finance department is ill-at-ease about coughing up these large sums to ensure a healthier sex ratio, the WCD department, headed by Congress minister Prof Varsha Gaikwad has now decided to move a different scheme, with the aid of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.
When contacted, Prof Gaikwad said, "The scheme is of top priority, as it is a last ditch attempt at protecting the girl child from being butchered in the womb, and rectifying the skewed sex ratio in the state.
After receiving a lukewarm response from the Finance Department, we have decided to trifurcate the proposal. We will now ask the departments of Finance, Social Justice and Tribal Development to share the financial burden."
She continued, "Our fresh plan is to rope in LIC to implement the scheme. Under the scheme, Rs 21,500 will be deposited with the corporation for each girl child born BPL.
In return, the LIC will add Rs 600 every six months, starting from the time that the girl graduates to class VIII. Additionally, each girl will receive a sum of Rs one lakh once she turns 18.
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The scheme would be applicable to first two girl children to be born to each family.
We have also asked the Social Justice Department to initiate parallel schemes for girls born under the Scheduled Class category, and the Tribal Development department for girls born to families in the Tribal category.
The scheme will also include girls from orphanages.
Top 5 Districts In Maharashtra
According to the 2011 census
>Ratnagiri stands first in Maharashtra with 1,123 females per 1,000 males.
>Sindhudurg is at No 2 with 1,037 females per 1,000 males.
>Gondiya is at No 3 with 996 females per 1,000 males.
>Satara is at 4th place with 986 females per 1,000 males.
>Bhandara stands at No 5 with 984 females per 1,000 males.
Bottom 3
According to the 2011 census
>Mumbai has the lowest sex ratio of only 838 females per 1,000 males.
>Suburban Mumbai also has a very low sex ratio of 857 females per 1,000 males.
>Thane has 880 females per 1,000 males
838
The number of females for every 1,000 males in Mumbai. This makes the city's sex ratio the lowest in Maharashtra
Did you know?
According to the 2011 census, Maharashtra has an overall sex ratio of 925 females per 1,000 males, up from 922 during the last decade.
