‘Don’t fill new forms under Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Yojana during MCC period’

Shimla: The Election Commission (EC), acting on a complaint by the BJP, has sent a letter to the Himachal Pradesh government asking them to suspend the filling of new forms under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana until the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force.

The scheme, announced on March 4, promises monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to women in the age group of 18 to 59.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a bid to fulfill a poll promise made ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls, had announced this scheme on March 4 and said that Rs 800 crore would be spent annually on this scheme, which would benefit over 5 lakh women in the state. Maneesh Garg, Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, said on March 16 that new beneficiaries cannot be added under the scheme due to the enforcement of MCC. Additionally, forms cannot be filled for getting Rs 1,500 per month pension as it carries the photograph of the chief minister, he had added.

Citing the instructions it issued on January 2 the EC said, “No fresh sanctions of government schemes should be made or reviewed by the ministers and processing of beneficiary oriented schemes, including the ongoing schemes should be stopped till the completion of the elections”. A letter from the election department to the Secretary of Social Justice and Empowerment, Himachal Pradesh, highlighted these instructions, which were then communicated to the Director of Empowerment of SCs, OBCs, minorities, and specially-abled.