West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced that there would not be any ceiling for a family's annual earnings to be a beneficiary under the UN award winning Kanyashree scheme.
She also announced that the state government would be coming up with a "Kanyashree University" for girls soon.
Kanyashree is a conditional cash transfer scheme aiming at improving the status and well being of the girl child by incentivising schooling of teenage girls and delaying their marriages until the age of 18. It received the United Nations Public Service Award last year.
Currently, girls who belong to families with annual family income not more than Rs 1.20 lakh is entitled to get the benefits.
"I am announcing that there will be no ceiling for the Kanyashree Prakalpa. This would help more girls to chase their dreams," Banerjee said at a programme to celebrate the 'Kanyashree Divas' here.
She said so far around 50 lakh girls have been benefited by the scheme and removal of the ceiling would help another three lakh more girls annually.
"For this the government will have to bear an extra cost of Rs 200 crore. But I won't mind, as I know that they will bring back Rs two lakh crore to the state," she said.
"I want to come up with a Kanyashree University. The state department of Women Development and Social Welfare will pursue it. I want to gift the girls a university," she said.
The state Women Development and Social Welfare department has designed the Kanyashree Prakalpa which was implemented in the state on October 1, 2013. So far, the department has spent Rs 6,000 crore.
The chief minister said since Kanyashree Prakalpa has been introduced, the number of school drop out of girls has declined nearly 11.5 per cent.
She also directed the technical education department to initiate a skill development programme for beneficiaries of the Kanyashree Prakalpa for their "bright future".
The Trinamool Congress supremo also stated that her party has the highest number of woman MPs in Parliament.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app