Major Features of the Balika Samriddhi Yojana
The recast Balika Samriddhi Yojana will be a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme to extend 100% central assistance to States/Union Territories to provide benefits under the Scheme in accordance with the norms, guidelines and conditions laid down by the Central Government.
Objectives :
- To change negative family and community attitudes towards the girl child at birth and towards her mother.
- To improve enrolment and retention of girl children in schools.
- To raise the age at marriage of girls.
- To assist the girl to undertake income generating activities.
Coverage :
The Balika Samriddhi Yojana will cover both rural and urban areas in all districts in India.
Target Group :
The Balika Samriddhi Yojana will cover girl children in families below the poverty line (BPL) as defined by the Government of India, in rural and urban areas, who are born on or after 15 August, 1997.
- In rural areas the target group can be taken as the families which have been identified to be below the poverty line in accordance with the norms specified under Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (known as such with effect from 1.4.1999), previously known as Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP).
- In urban areas, wherever household surveys have been conducted as per the instructions of Government of India and lists of BPL families are prepared, such lists can be used. Wherever such lists are not prepared, the list of families covered under the Targetted Public Distribution System (TPDS) may be followed. Where neither of these lists are available, as a rule of thumb, families living in urban slums, both recognized as well as those not recognized, may be covered. Also, families which are in urban informal sector and working as rag-pickers, vegetable/fish and flower sellers, pavement dwellers etc. would also be eligible. Applications may also be collected from families in non-slum areas.
Benefits under BSY will be restricted to two girl children in each household born on or after 15.8.1997 irrespective of the total number of children in the household.
Components of the Balika Samriddhi Yojana :
The girl children eligible under BSY will be entitled to the following benefits:
- A post-birth grant amount of Rs.500/-.
- When the girl child born on or after 15/8/1997 and covered under BSY starts attending the school, she will become entitled to annual scholarships as under for each successfully completed year of schooling:-
| I-III |
Rs.300/- per annum for each class |
| IV |
Rs.500/- per annum |
| V |
Rs.600/- per annum |
VI-VII |
Rs.700/- per annum for each class |
| VIII |
Rs.800/- per annum |
IX-X |
Rs.1,000/- per annum for each class |
Deposit of the benefits admissible to the girl child under the BSY in an interest- bearing account.
-
The amounts mentioned in paras 5 (1) and 5(2) above less those required for benefits under para 7 below, shall be deposited in an interest-bearing account to be opened in the name of the beneficiary girl child and an officer designated in this behalf by the State Government/Union Territory Administration in the nearest bank or post office. The choice of a bank or a post office for the purpose of opening the account will be of the State Government/Union Territory Administration. The account should earn the maximum possible rate of interest. In this context, the Public Provident Fund scheme or the National Savings Certificate scheme should be given the highest priority and the Savings Bank Account scheme the lowest.
-
In order to ensure that the maximum possible rate of interest is earned on the deposits of the benefits in the interest-bearing account, no pre-mature withdrawal shall be permitted from the account which will mature on the girl child attaining the age of eighteen years.
-
On the girl child attaining eighteen years of age and on production of a certificate from the Gram Panchayat/Municipality that she is unmarried on her eighteenth birthday, the implementing agency would authorize the bank or the post office authorities concerned to allow her to withdraw the matured amount standing in her name in the interest-bearing account.
-
In the event of the girl getting married before attaining the age of eighteen years, she shall forgo the benefit of the amounts of the annual scholarships and the interest accrued thereon and shall stand entitled only to the post-birth grant amount of Rs.500/- and the interest accrued thereon. The implementing agency shall, in such an event, be entitled to withdraw the value of the matured deposit of the scholarship amounts and the interest accrued thereon and utilize this fund to sanction the benefits prescribed under this Scheme to other eligible girl children.
-
In the eventuality of the death of the girl child before attaining the age of eighteen years, the accumulated amount in her account would be withdrawn by the implementing agency for payment to other eligible beneficiaries under BSY.
Other utilization of the benefits admissible to the girl child under the Balika Samriddhi Yojana.
-
A portion of the post-birth grant of Rs.500/- or the amounts of the annual scholarships eligible for deposit may be permitted to be applied toward the sole purpose of paying the premium on an insurance policy in the name of the girl child under the Bhagyashree Balika Kalyan Bima Yojana. Such a utilization may be permitted with due authorization of the mother/guardian of the girl. The remaining amount i.e., the amount left after payment of the premium, shall be deposited in the interest-bearing account spoken of in para 6(1) above.
-
The amounts of annual scholarships may be permitted to be utilized toward purchase of textbooks or uniforms for the girl child, with due authorization of the mother/guardian of the girl. The amounts of scholarships remaining after such utilization shall be deposited in the interest-bearing account spoken of in para 6(1) above.
|