Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has simplified the Lek Laadki scheme to empower girls, enabling eligible beneficiaries to apply online and receive financial assistance directly in their linked bank accounts, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Sunday.
Parents of eligible girls can now submit applications directly through the 'Aaple Sarkar' portal, while the number of documents required for the application has been reduced, Tatkare said in a statement.
To ensure that previously excluded beneficiaries get an opportunity to avail the scheme, girls eligible from April 1, 2023, will be allowed to apply until August 15, 2027. For new cases, applications will have to be submitted within a year of the girl's birth, the statement said.
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Under the revised system, beneficiary details will be automatically fetched using the Aadhaar number, and the E-KYC of the beneficiary girl, her mother and father will also be carried out.
The scheme provides financial assistance at different stages of a girl's life. Beneficiaries will no longer have to submit separate applications to receive benefits at subsequent stages, the minister said.
The assistance will be transferred directly to the linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Tatkare expressed confidence that the simplified process would make the application procedure faster, transparent and beneficiary-centric and help more eligible girls avail themselves of the scheme.
The scheme is being implemented by the Women and Child Development Department to encourage girls' education, empower them and promote a positive attitude towards girls.
Under the scheme, girls born on or after April 1, 2023, are eligible for financial assistance of Rs 5,000 after birth, Rs 6,000 on admission to Class 1, Rs 7,000 on admission to Class 6, Rs 8,000 on admission to Class 11 and Rs 75,000 after attaining the age of 18 years.
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The total financial assistance under the scheme is Rs 1.01 lakh, as per the minister.
For eligibility, the family must be a resident of Maharashtra, possess a yellow or orange ration card and meet the income and other conditions prescribed by the government.
So far, 2,98,695 beneficiaries have received the first instalment under the Lek Ladki scheme, Tatkare said.
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