Govt receives 3 million fake 'beti bachao, beti padhao' forms; cancels all

The Ministry for Women & Child Development is facing a new kind of problem — the government has received nearly 3 million fake application forms, filled up and signed by parents of girl children from different states seeking Rs 2 lakh cash benefits under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' scheme.

However, the mentioned scheme has no provision of individual Cash transfers by the government. 

Earlier, in an official statement, the ministry said, "It has come to our notice that certain unauthorised sites, organisations, NGOs, and individuals are distributing illegal forms in the name of cash incentives under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme."

The parents have been buying fake forms which are available from stationery shops to Jan Suvidha Kendras, for Rs 5-10, the Times of India reported. 

While most forms came from Uttar Pradesh, the other states on the list are Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Ministry has also received forms from Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kerala, Rajasthan. 

When the scam first unfolded a few months back, the ministry tried to warn people by various disclaimers through advertisements on social media, official website and newspaper. No personal information like bank details and Aadhar number should be shared in the form. Still, many parents fell prey to frauds and ended up sharing personal details. 

The ministry had earlier referred the matter to the CBI, too, but the fake forms continue to arrive. A meeting was held last month to discuss how to deal with the fraud between the ministries of WCD, law, home and I&B. 

The government has decided that they will destroy all the fake applications without issuing any notice. 

Beti Padhao scheme focuses on challenging mindsets and deep-rooted patriarchy in the society. It is not a DBT (Direct Benefit

Transfer) scheme, the ministry stated clearly in the statement.