Sukanyashree project launched to make girls economically independent

Sukanyashree, a unique project to make girls economically independent has been launched in the state under the guidance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The pilot project has been launched in Nadia district and the model will be replicated in other districts in course of time. It may be mentioned that the Kanyashree project has earned great success and has been appreciated both in the country and abroad.

Sukanyashree aimed at providing higher education to the girls and senior state government officials 

said it would evoke tremendous response.

A girl child between 0 days to 5 years has been brought under the project. 

The girl will get Rs 6 lakh when she turns 18 years of age. Along with this, she will get Rs 25,000 under the Kanyashree project.

The project has been chalked out keeping in mind Sukanya Samridhi Yojna of the Centre. Under the project, the mother of a child can open a bank account with Rs 1,000 and then she can deposit anything between Rs 100 and Rs 1 lakh yearly in her account. The girl will get loan for higher education when she becomes an adult. But how the parents can save the money and deposit it in her account is not very clear under the scheme.

Nadia district administration and Zilla parishad have chalked out the scheme while taking financial support from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Scheme (MGNREGA).

Under Sukanyashree project, the district administration will hand over 101 samplings to the parents whose daughters are between 0 days and 5 years. Those who have 1 bigha of land will be given first priority. They will plant the saplings under the financial assistance of the state government which is Rs 18,340. In addition to this, to grow the saplings, they will get Rs 26,752 which is the wage of 158 labourers.

The families will get around Rs 60,000 per annum from the third year. Out of this if Rs 30,000 is kept for the girl, she will get Rs 3 lakh when she turn 14 and this amount will become Rs 6 lakh when she turns 18 years of age.

Those who do not have land will be given right of the tree (brikkha patta). Senior officials of the Panchayat and Rural Development department said if successful, the project would be replicated throughout the state and would make the girls living in the rural areas self reliant.