TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The government has re-published its flagship Laadli Laxmi Scheme last amended on April 25 that will come into force with immediate effect and with no major changes. Under the scheme the beneficiaries will be paid Rs 1 lakh as financial assistance, by way of a bank fixed deposit jointly in the name of the Director of Women and Child Development and the girl. However, the preamble makes it clear that this scheme should not to be construed or misunderstood as an encouragement to the practice of giving dowry in any way.
The fixed deposit will be automatically renewed annually or on maturity, alongwith the accrued interest, till the date of claim by the applicant as per the scheme or until the age of 40 years ~ whichever is earlier.
The government had initially notified the Laadli Laxmi Scheme on July 19, 2012. The scheme was subsequently amended through a notification dated August 7, 2012 and published in the Official Gazette on August 9, 2012 and another notification dated April, 22, 2013 published in the Official Gazette dated April 25, 2013.
At the time of its launch, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said that under the scheme, the government would provide Rs 1 lakh to girls who have attained the age of 18 to meet their marriage expenses, but the girl should be born in Goa or at least one of her parents should be born in Goa. The scheme is to cost Rs 150 crore annually and would have no TDS deductions.
The beneficiaries are to be grouped in two categories – those who attain the age of majority i.e. 18 years on or after April 1 2012 and those who have already attained the age of 18 years before April 1, 2012 and are in the age group of 19 to 40 years.
According to the government a girl child is often seen as a financial burden, and this scheme is intended to reduce the financial burden thereby addressing the undesirable tendency of female foeticides, and thus help to arrest the declining female sex ratio in the state. This scheme further intends to ensure that the girl child does not become a burden for the parent or guardian during her marriage.
Any doubt regarding eligibility will be decided by a committee consisting of secretary to the government of Goa in charge of Department of Women and Child Development as chairperson; one social worker to be appointed by the government as member; additional/joint secretary to the government of Goa in charge in the Department of Finance as member, and director, Directorate of Women and Child Development as member secretary.
The decision of the above committee shall be final and binding and no appeal or request for reconsideration of decision will be allowed under the scheme. As part of eligibility a baptism certificate; school leaving certificate of the parent(s); or any document which establishes that one of the grandparents of the girl have lived in Goa around the time of the date of birth claimed by the parent is valid.
The Aadhar card has been made compulsory for all applicants after April 1, 2013, says the scheme order but adds the government may relax the requirement of producing the Aadhar card and such other certificates.
