Kanyashree Prakalpa: Even amid pandemic, state enrols over 55L girls

MP,15 Aug 2021, Kolkata: In its bid to extend support to girls in carrying out their studies even during the trying times of the pandemic, the Mamata Banerjee government has ensured enrollment of 55.60 lakh girl students under the Kanyashree Prakalpa till date since March 2020. 

The Bengal government celebrated the eighth Kanyashree Divas on Friday observing the success of the project that was the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to empower girls. With an aim to ensure that girls complete their school-level studies instead of getting married off early, the Chief Minister had introduced the scheme in 2012. 

A beneficiary gets annual financial assistance of Rs 1,000 from Class VII to Class XII under Kanyashree I (K-I) and a one-time grant (K-II) of Rs 25,000 if the beneficiary completes Class XII-level studies without getting married off. 

The Chief Minister tweeted: "On Kanyashree Dibas, I celebrate the success stories of all our girls in Bengal. I am proud of their achievements, passion and dedication. Kanyashree Prakalpa helped lakhs of young girls pursue their dreams. As a nation, we must always work towards empowering our women and girls." 

A central programme was organised at Rabindra Sadan maintaining Covid protocols where minister of the nodal Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department Shashi Panja said: "Girl students continued receiving the benefits under Kanyashree scheme though schools remained shut due to the pandemic." 

Taking a dig at the BJP-led Central government, Panja further said: "They had launched the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana scheme. What was its output? Now, incidents of 'beti jalao' are taking place as we had seen at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. The people of Bengal are witnessing the good governance of Mamata Banerjee for the third consecutive time. Why not the people of other states, including Tripura get the opportunity to witness the same?" 

Sanghamitra Ghosh, secretary of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department, Md Mohiuddin, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, also attended the programme. 

"So far, a total of 73 lakh enrollments have taken place since the inception of the scheme," Ghosh said. 

It needs a special mention that around 26 lakh and 20 lakh enrollments under the K-I scheme have taken place in the 2020-21 fiscal and the first four months of 2021-22 financial year respectively. 

Again, the enrolment for a one-time grant under K-II scheme was 5.15 lakh and 4.45 lakh in 2020-21 fiscal and the first four months of the current fiscal. "It shows that there was a total enrollment of around 55.60 lakh since March 2020 when the Covid pandemic had set in," said a senior officer. 

Meanwhile, a Class VIII girl who is a beneficiary of the Kanyashree Prakalpa has come forward to stand beside the flood-affected people by donating Rs 2,000, the amount she saved from her pocket money to the Chief Minister's disaster relief fund. Ahana Bhattacharya is a student of Saradha Sishu Vidyamandir in Howrah. 

She received the award of 'Outstanding Kanyashree' for her success in the field of karate and martial arts.

(http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/kanyashree-prakalpa-even-amid-pandemic-state-enrols-over-55l-girls-449853)