Member Parliament Mehbooba Mufti today said the launch of Ladli Beti scheme is a historic moment for the state as it will go a long way in changing the perception of the society towards the girl child.Speaking at a function organized here in connection with the formal launch of the Ladli Beti scheme in the State, Ms Mehbooba said the scheme would go a long way in battling the areas of concern like female feticide and waning female sex ratio. “This remarkable social security scheme is aimed at creating a strong positive disposition towards the girl child and reverse the alarming trend of declining child sex ratio in the State,” she said and added that the scheme addresses the concerns of girl's right from birth to adulthood by providing financial security to them.
Pertinently, under the scheme, the state government will contribute Rs 1,000 per month towards the birth of every girl child born after April 1, 2015 for the next 14 years. Upon reaching the age of 21, the girl child would receive a sum of Rs 6.5 lakh. The scheme is to be implemented on pilot basis in six districts of the State including Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Anantnag, Budgam and Pulwama.Ms Mehbooba said while Ladli Beti is a starting point towards the welfare of the girl child, the responsibility to provide a conducive and protective atmosphere to the girl child rests with the family and the society at large. “We together need to put in concerted efforts to achieve the desired objective of securing the future of the girl child,” she said.Reiterating the commitment of the present coalition government headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to implement various schemes for the women’s welfare, Ms Mehbooba said we need to focus on empowering women by providing her better education, healthcare.
Terming women as harbingers of peace, Ms Mehbooba said if we want to bring peace in the world, we have to first create peaceful atmosphere at home for women. She also laid stress on imparting skill development training to women so that they can earn their livelihood and become financially empowered.She said in another significant move, the Government is contemplating to increase number of maternity hospitals in the state by providing at least one such facility in every district.
Listing development-deficit and unemployment as the grey areas to be tackled on priority, Ms Mehbooba said the Government has started with breaking the inertia that has crept into the administration at various levels. “With the taking over of the present Government under the visionary leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the administration has also started responding to and implementing the new initiatives with sincerity of purpose so that the people on the ground feel the change,” she said and added that the results of the change would be visible on the ground soon.
Minister for Social Welfare, Mr Bali Baghat, Minister of State for Education and Culture, Ms Priya Sethi , Minister of State for Social Welfare, Ms Asiea Naqash, Member Parliament, Mr Jugal Kishore and Vice Chairman Scheduled Castes Advisory Board Bhushan Lal Dogra also addressed the gathering.MLA Chamb Dr Krishan Lal, MLC Surinder Choudhary, Secretary Social Welfare Department Sanjeev Verma, DDC Jammu Simrandeep Singh, Senior officers of Social Welfare department were also present on the occasion.