Bangaru Thalli -- girl child protection scheme – is the latest welfare scheme for which funds will be released through ‘Green Channel’, that ensures demand-driven speedy disbursal on a priority basis.
This was done at the instance of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who reviewed the implementation of the scheme at the Secretariat with Ministers V. Sunitha Laxma Reddy, Pithani Satyanarayana and P. Balajaru and officials of various departments.
Since the introduction of the scheme in July this year aimed at checking falling female child sex ratio and putting a stop to the discrimination of girl child in nutrition, health and education, 51,929 newly-born girl children have been registered online, officials said.
Later, speaking to media persons, Minister for Woman Development and Child Welfare Sunitha Laxma Reddy said that 46,319 girl children were registered in rural areas through Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty and 5,610 children in urban areas under MEPMA.
Under the scheme, soon after a girl is born, Rs. 2,500 is transferred to the bank account of the mother. However, since more than 23,000 parents have no bank accounts and another 5,130 have no valid accounts, the first instalment was handed over to them in cash, she said. The Chief Minister wanted the officials to ensure that by the time the second and successive annual incentives were due, Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for Direct Benefit Transfer should be made mandatory. A coordinated campaign would be launched to spread awareness about Bangaru Thalli scheme.
Ms. Sunitha Laxma Reddy also disclosed that among those who applied for pensions under various categories such as old age, widow, disabled, 6.2 lakh persons were identified as eligible and pensions would be sanctioned to them in the next phase of Rachabanda to be held shortly.
