Pune: The state government's revamped scheme for the girl child — Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree — that earlier benefited only the very poor families, will now be covering families where the parents have an annual income of up to Rs7.50 lakh.The modified scheme that became effective from August 1, 2017, awards Rs50,000 if parents opt for sterilization after the birth of the first girl child; and Rs25,000 for sterilisation after the birth of the second girl child. Any girl child born on or after August 1, 2017, will be eligible for the benefits. The money will be put into a fixed deposit account to ensure staggered financial incentives to the girl child for her educational and nutritional needs. The main objective of the scheme is to improve the ratio of girl students in schools and also bring about positive change in the health and nutrition levels of girls across the state."Earlier the scheme was only for families of the 'below poverty line' (BPL) category. Now, the income limitations of parents and number of girl children per family have been modified. The expanded ambit will benefit more girl children from even lower middle- and middle-class families," said Kamlakar Phand, commissioner, Integrated Child Development Programme under Women and Child Development (WCD) department."To make the scheme popular, we will be initiating awareness programmes. If more people are aware of the scheme, more girl children in the state will benefit," Phand saidArchana Patil, the additional commissioner of state family welfare bureau, said, "State health department's Savitribai Phule Kanya Kalyan Scheme (SPKKS), which had been in force in Maharashtra from April 2007, has been merged with WCD's Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree scheme. SPKKS has been stopped with effect from August 1, 2017."

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