Rumblings in the ruling party and the government over Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s pet scheme ‘Bangaru Thalli ‘ are continuing.
A meeting of the Group of Ministers constituted to study the proposed scheme for protection of girl children and work out the modalities for its effective implementation witnessed a heated debate on Thursday. APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana reportedly questioned the manner in which the government was trying to rush through the scheme without looking into the pros and cons of its implementation.
Mr. Satyanarayana, who participated in the meeting, voiced concern that the party would be accountable in the event of the long gestation scheme’s benefits not reaching the targeted sections.
He wanted the administration to address certain shortcomings in the proposed scheme before bringing out legislation on its implementation.
Areas of concern
There were certain areas of concern like emphasis on institutional delivery and compulsory enrolment in the government schools till V standard that needed to be worked out. Some Ministers want the government to make sure that the amount is deposited in advance so that the girls could get higher returns at the end of the 21 years.
A majority of the Ministers supported enacting legislation for Bangaru Thalli to ensure that the scheme would be in operation irrespective of the party in power.
“The scheme is designed in such a way that future governments can only enhance the quantum of the amount assured. They cannot do away with the scheme altogether,” a Minister said.
