The Hindu : Focus on girl child during Janmabhoomi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Focus on girl child during Janmabhoomi

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD DEC. 27. The Women Development and Child Welfare Department has come up with an ambitious programme of clearing all applications under the Girl Child Protection Scheme (GCPS) during the 18th round of Janmabhoomi between January 2 and 11. It includes 40,000 backlog applications and 37,000 of the 65,000 girl children covered by the ongoing Rs. 45.68-crore programme.

It has also decided to observe 2003 as the `Year for the Adolescent Girls,' focussing on their health, nutrition, education, awareness and economic uplift.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the Women Development and Child Welfare Minister, S. Saraswathi, said the GCPS meant for those under below the poverty line had been slightly modified in that a fixed amount of Rs. 5,000 would be deposited in the name of the girl child below two years of age. The interest can be withdrawn to meet different types of expenditure till she attained the age of marriage, 18 years.

The Minister conceded that the 40,000 applications backlog was huge but claimed that this would be cleared in the coming Janmabhoomi. The GCPS launched in 1998-99 had covered 2,33,252 girl children so far.

Another scheme to be taken up during the Janmabhoomi is "Balika Samruddhi Yojana'', under which a sum of Rs. 6.87 crores has been provided to cover 1.42 lakh girl children. The scheme involves granting cash of Rs. 300 to each girl child at the time of birth and Rs. 300 when she is admitted to first standard in school. The amount goes up progressively and she would get Rs.1,000 when she is in the tenth standard. In both GCPS and BSY, the amounts would be deposited in banks and the beneficiaries will be selected by the nodal team during the Janmabhoomi.

She said year-long activities had been formulated in 2003, focussing on adolescent girls who constituted five per cent of the population. A survey indicated that 70 per cent of them were anaemic leading to high infant mortality rate.

Referring to the policy on combating trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation of women and children approved by the Cabinet on Thursday, the Minister said a Rs. 52-lakh transit home would be constructed at Kukatpally here under the `Swadhar' scheme of the Central Government.

A permanent fair for selling products made by women's groups on the lines of Shilparamam would come up at the department's office complex at Ameerpet here, costing Rs. 2.3 crores. `Taruni Vikas Kendra,' business counselling centres for women, would be set up in 10 places all over the State.

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