Chennai: Commissioner calls for disbursal of maturity amount under Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme
The Commissioner of Social Welfare in Chennai has recently urged the authorities to ensure that all girl children who have turned 18 and are enrolled in the Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme receive their maturity amount.
The scheme, which is implemented through the Tamil Nadu Electricity Fund Corporation under the Department of Social Welfare and Women’s Rights of the state government, has attracted a significant number of registrations. Since its inception in 2001 until March 2023, a total of 956,000 girl children have been registered under the program.
Under the scheme, a fixed deposit of Rs.50,000 is made on behalf of the first girl child born in a family, while a fixed amount of Rs.25,000 is invested for each of the 2 female children in the family. In cases where the first birth is a girl child and the second birth results in twin girls, an investment of Rs.25,000 is made for each girl child, subject to special permission.
To be eligible for the scheme, the family’s annual income should not exceed Rs.72,000. Additionally, the application for the second female child must be made within 3 years of her birth, and one of the parents must have undergone family planning before the age of 40. Lastly, the girl child must complete 10th standard education and remain unmarried until the age of 18 in order to receive the maturity amount.
According to the latest data, a total of 140,003 girls who turned 18 between 2001 and 2005 have received maturity amounts totaling Rs.350.28 crore. However, there are still over 150,000 girls who have completed 18 years of age but have yet to apply for their maturity amount.
To address this issue, special camps have been organized in all district social welfare offices on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, with the aim of creating awareness about the Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme and guiding those who wish to avail its benefits. These camps also assist in processing applications for the maturity allowance for girls who have turned 18.
In light of the situation, the Social Welfare Commissioner has instructed all girls who have reached the age of 18 to visit their respective district social welfare offices and claim their maturity amount within one month. They are also required to provide a book copy of the newly opened bank account in their name.
The Commissioner hopes that this initiative will help in ensuring that all eligible girl children receive the financial support they are entitled to under the Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme.