KOLKATA: Buoyed by the success of Kanyashree scheme, West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Wednesday announced the Rupashree scheme, providing financial assistance for the marriage of women whose family income is less than ₹1.5 lakh per annum.
Speaking to journalists after the presentation of the state Budget, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that ₹1,500 crore will be allocated for the Rupashree scheme. She made it clear that Rupashree scheme will be independent of the Kanyashree scheme for which the yearly entitlement for school-going girls has been increased from ₹750 a year to ₹1000 in the Budget this year. The other benefits of the Kanyashree scheme include a one-time grant of ₹25,000 when a girl attains 18 years of age and ₹2,000 a year for college-going girls.
Instituted by the state government in 2013, Kanyashree, aimed at improving the well-being of school- and college-going girls, was honoured by United Nation’s Public Service Award at The Hague in 2017.
Ms. Banerjee said that the annual spending for Kanyashree was ₹1250 crore and so far the government had spent ₹5,000 crore on it.
