Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will re-launch her dream project for women's financial independence - Bhamashah Scheme - from Udaipur on Friday to mark the 68th Independence Day.
The scheme had been initiated by Ms Raje in her previous tenure but was discontinued by the subsequent Congress government. It is claimed that the Centre's Aadhar card was based on Bhamashah scheme.
Under the scheme, the government will open bank accounts in the name of the woman of the family through which all government benefits - financial or otherwise - will be sourced. As many as 1.5 crore women will become financial heads of their families.
Close to 100 services offered electronically by the State as of now and entitlements under the Food Security Scheme will also be linked to the scheme. Schemes like the Indira Awas Yojana, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension, MNREGA, the Rajasthan Social Security Scheme and scholarship money for children in the family will all flow through the woman's bank account.
In 2008, biometric data of 44 lakh families was collected and 26 lakh accounts were opened with Punjab National Bank, and approximately Rs 160 crore was transferred to 10 lakh accounts. The State will now use the Unique Identification Authority of India's Aadhaar biometric data and link it to bank accounts.
The ongoing enrolment drive is expected to be completed by year-end. All panchayats - more than 9,000 - will have a Rajasthan Seva Kendras (RSK) which will offer e-facilities to cover all 100 services offered electronically in the State. Special camps will be held at the panchayat and district levels for enrolment under the scheme.
When the scheme fully rolls out by the end of 2016 financial year, the total financial burden is expected to be close to Rs 20,000 crore annually.
A sum of Rs 600 crore has been earmarked for the scheme this financial year and district collectors have been entrusted with the work of ensuring enrolment of all people above the age of 5 and opening of bank accounts in the name of woman head of the family.
