Bihar CM Nitish Kumar addressed a high-profile gathering to celebrate success of the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana at SK Memorial Hall in Patna last week.
UK Sinha, chairman and managing director of UTI AMC who will take over as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on February 18, also attended the event.
Almost 75 per cent of the hall was filled with poor people, who had come from far-flung villages. Under the Kanya Suraksha Yojana, the Bihar government has joined hands with UTI AMC to offer bonds worth Rs 2,000 to the first two girls of each family living below poverty line (BPL). Once the child is 18 year old, the maturity amount is paid to her. Announced in 2009, the scheme has received overwhelming response with 9.28 lakh BPL families filing their applications.
Though number does not seem to be large for the state in the country where over 80 per cent of public lives in villages, the Kanya Suraksha Yojana is being hailed as a huge step towards human development.