The Karnataka government introduced the Bhagyalakshmi scheme to ensure compulsory registration of girl children’s birth, improve their status within families and society, promote their education, and combat social evils like child labour and child marriage, while also reducing female foeticide.
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The Bhagyalakshmi scheme was launched by the Karnataka government in 2006 to promote the birth of girl children in Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. According to the 2011 census, the state’s sex ratio was 964 females for every 1,000 males which, while better than the national average, still reflected a societal preference for male progeny. This preference adversely affects the girl child’s access to nutrition, healthcare, education, and her overall development.
In response to these challenges, the government introduced the Bhagyalakshmi scheme to ensure compulsory registration of girl children’s birth, improve their status within families and society, promote their education, and combat social evils like child labour and child marriage, while also reducing female foeticide.
However, the promise of financial support has become mired in bureaucratic red tape, leaving countless beneficiaries unable to claim their rightful maturity benefits. The scheme provides a structured financial initiative where a deposit of Rs 10,000 is made in the name of the first-born girl child, maturing to Rs 34,571 upon her reaching 18 years. The maturity amount for the second girl child is Rs 40,619. This was enhanced to Rs 1,00,000-plus from 2008.
To claim this amount, the Women and Child Development Department has mandated the submission of nine documents including vaccination and sterilisation cards. For many BPL families, the realities of illiteracy and a lack of awareness about the scheme’s requirements complicate the process. Many parents live in challenging conditions and may have misplaced essential documents, or may not possess them at all.
It is unjust to impose such stringent conditions on families facing socio-economic hardships. Without a concerted effort to address these bureaucratic barriers, the potential benefits of this scheme will largely remain unrealised.
The government has developed the Child Tracking System in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). This system is linked to the ‘Hejje Guruthu’ scheme which is designed to track the health, education, and welfare of children, providing a comprehensive overview of the beneficiaries. If effectively utilised, this technology could streamline the process, enabling the government to directly verify the eligibility of beneficiaries without placing the onus on impoverished families.
The government should take immediate steps to simplify the claiming process by reducing documentation requirements. The current impediments threaten to undermine the very objectives of the scheme. Instead of empowering families, these hurdles may deepen their despair, ultimately negating the benefits the scheme was designed to provide. It is essential for the government to ensure that the promise of the scheme is fulfilled, allowing it to truly uplift and empower girl children and their families.