Mumbai, Oct 11 (IANS): As part of the aim to empower girls, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has unveiled ‘Lek Laadki’ incentive scheme for poor girls from ration-card holding families entitling them to total assistance worth Rs One-Lakh till they attain the age of 18, here on Tuesday.

This is in tune with the 2023-2024 state budget announcement by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in March, to implement the scheme with retrospective effect from April 1, 2023.

Under the scheme, the state will give an incentive of Rs 5,000 after the birth of a female child to yellow and orange ration card holding families.

When the girl joins the first standard in school, she would get Rs 6,000, Rs 7000 in the Class VI, Rs 8000 in Class XI, and Rs 75,000 when she turns 18.

In total, under the ‘Lek Laadki’ initiative, the girl will get Rs 100,000 till she turns 18 years old, said the government and will be available to a girl child born after April 1, 2023.

People working in the social fields and women's issues have welcomed the scheme which would benefit girls born in poor families in urban and rural areas, and serve as an incentive to educate them properly.