Panipat, Haryana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a small deposit scheme for girl child, as part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign, which would fetch an interest rate of 9.1 per cent and provide income tax rebate.

‘Sukanya Samridhi Account’ can be opened at any time from the birth of a girl child till she attains the age of 10 years, with a minimum deposit of Rs 1000. A maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the financial year.

The account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks.

“The scheme primarily ensures equitable share to a girl child in resources and savings of a family in which she is generally discriminated as against a male child,” said a government statement.

In an effort to motivate parents to open an account in the name of a girl child and for her welfare to deposit maximum of their savings upto the prescribed limits, higher rates of interest at 9.1 per cent is proposed to be given on the deposits on annually compounded basis with income tax concession in this financial year, the statement said.

The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of opening of the account or marriage of the girl child after attaining 18 years of age.

To meet the requirement of higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50 per cent of the balance would be allowed after the girl child has attended 18 years of age.

“The provision of not allowing withdrawal from the account till the age of 18 has been kept to prevent early marriage of girls,” the statement said.

The Prime Minister handed over bank account details to five girls under the ‘Sukanya Samridhi Yojna’ (girl child prosperity scheme).

PM makes emotional appeal for girls, denounces foeticide

Making an emotional appeal for saving the girl child, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today denounced the practice of female foeticide for which he blamed the “mental illness” in the society and attacked doctors for the same.

Launching ‘beti bachao, beti padhao (save daughter, educate daughter)’ scheme in this district of Haryana, a state with one of the poorest sex ratio, Modi said discrimination against the girls shows a mindset which is worse than that in the 18th century and harmful for the future of the nation.

Joined by Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit, Modi pleaded for ending the evil practice, saying he had come as a “beggar” begging for the lives of daughters.

“Mein aaj aapse kuch mangnein aaya hoon..ek bikshuk banke mein aapse betiyoon ki zindagi ki bheekh maang rahan hoon (today, I have come to seek something from you..I have come as a beggar to plead for saving the lives of the girls,” he said.

He invoked Kalpana Chawla, first Indian woman who hailed from Haryana who had travelled in space, saying that it was very painful to see “other Kalpana Chawlas are killed in the wombs of their mother”.

While administering a pledge to the gathering that they will work to end female foeticide and discrimination against girls, he said, “we cannot call ourselves citizens of 21st century by practising such a crime. By our mindset, we belong to 18th century when daughters were killed soon after they were born.

“..We are in fact worse than that. In those times, (in 18th century), girls would be allowed to be born and live for some time. We kill our daughters in the wombs of their mothers… In the root of this is our mental poverty.”

Noting that in the Indian society, sons are considered very important, he said there is a belief that “daughters are a property of some other house where they would be married.

This disease is not of Haryana alone but this mental illness ails the whole country.”

He slammed doctors indulging in female foeticide, saying their “sin” was a “betrayal” against society.

The ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ scheme provides for small deposits for girl child, which would fetch an interest rate of 9.1 per cent and provide income tax rebate.

‘Sukanya Samridhi Account’ can be opened at any time from the birth of a girl child till she attains the age of 10 years, with a minimum deposit of Rs 1000. A maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the financial year.

Pitching for a nationwide initiative to end discrimination against girls and improving the sex ratio, Modi appealed for a united approach to fight the scourge irrespective of political affiliation.

Unless it is tackled, the country would be facing a huge challenge ahead, he warned.

“Not only are we doing harm to ourselves but through such actions (killing girls inside wombs), we are inviting a big problem for our future generations as well,” Modi said at the event in this historic town here, which registers one of the highest incidents of female foeticide in the country.

Beti bachao beti padhao is the fourth major initiative of the Narendra Modi government after Jan Dhan Yojna, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Make in India.

Haryana has been chosen to launch the scheme as it is one of the States which has adverse sex ratio, with districts like Jhajjar, Rewari, Rohtak, Ambala, Panipat and Sonepat, among the worst doing ones.

A reward of Rs 1 crore will be given for the innovative village which attains a balanced sex ratio and District Commissioner or ambassadors of the campaign will be suitably rewarded by the Government.

Union Ministers Maneka Gandhi, J P Nadda, K P Gujjar, Birender Singh, Rao Inderjit Singh, Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, Chief Minister M LKhattar, a number of Haryana Ministers including BJP?s women MLAs, Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, who has associated with the campaign, were among others present on the occasion.

Borrowing lines from famous poet Altaf Hussain Hali in which he had written in praise of the girl child, Modi said even in our Shastras our forefathers used to give blessings when a daughter was born in a family.

Madhuri Dixit bats for girl child

Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit today came out in support of saving the girl child and end to discrimination, sharing dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who launched a scheme in this regard here.

“We’ve reached the Moon and Mars but sadly some still see the daughter as a burden. The skewed sex ratio does indeed ring an alarm bell,” said the yesteryears star while addressing the launch function here.

While pleading for end to discrimination, she cited her personal life. “We are three sisters and one brother and my parents practised no discrimination in my upbringing,” she said.

Underlining that the society cannot function without girls, she said they have the unique ability of keeping the home together.

Referring to the great women leaders and freedom fighters and especially Kalpana Chawla who made Haryana proud with her feat in space, Dixit said it is not just a question of giving birth to girls but giving them proper nutrition, education and opportunities.

“An educated girl is better than a body as she helps in educating the entire society,” she said.

Modi had a personal note of appreciation for her, saying she chose to attend the event notwithstanding the fact that her mother was admitted to ICU.

“This shows her commitment to the cause and the inspiration her mother gave to her to be in Panipat,” he said with a host of Union Ministers along with Haryana chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in attendance.

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