New criteria in force to claim benefits from govt schemes

Bangalore, May 3 (UNI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today said the Bhagyalaxmi scheme to provide funds to the girl child was in final stages and will be implemented soon based on a new criterion of family income.

Speaking to mediapersons here he said this step would help put an end to the misuse of BPL cards for availing the benefits of the government schemes.

He said the scheme would now be based on the annual income of Rs 20,000 or less and not based on BPL cards. The government would deposit a sum of Rs 10,000 in the name of two girl children in such families and the matured amount would be paid to them after they attain the age of 18, he said.

The scheme also covers an annual education scholarship of Rs 100 from first standard to Rs 1000 to tenth progressively, for the two girls and the scholarship for 11th and 12th standards would be linked to an LIC scheme. The scheme would also carry an insurance cover of Rs One lakh for parents and Rs 25,000 for children, he said.

From the fixed deposit, the first child would get Rs 34,700 and the second child Rs 40,918 at the age of 18, he said.

Mr Yediyurappa said the government had planned to set up a separate directorate for handling matters relating to social securities and pension within a month.

UNI