NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The state has not received any funds from the Centre in the last two years for the successful implementation of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme to create awareness about welfare and empowerment of girl child.
The centrally-sponsored scheme, launched in May 2015 in the state, has been marred by the delay in receiving fund and lack of convergence with line departments.
The district task force led by the District Collector, who is responsible for the effective implementation, monitoring and supervision of the scheme, has spent nearly 90 per cent of the funds released under the scheme in March 2016. Out of Rs 44.79 lakh sanctioned by the central government and Rs 15 lakh of state contribution for the year 2015-16, the district task force has utilised Rs 57 lakh upto September this year.
To keep up the efficiency of the BBBP scheme for deliverance of its objectives, the funding structure of the scheme was revised as per guidelines from the Ministry of Finance in August 2016. As such, from the financial year 2016-17, under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, the Ministry started the disbursement of grant-in-aid directly to the District Collectors of selected districts for implementation of the BBBP campaign in their districts.
A total of 100 districts with low child sex ratio (CSR) were selected covering all states/Union territories for the BBBP scheme implementation. In Goa, the North district was selected for having CSR of 939 girls for 1,000 boys as per the 2011 census. Sex Ratio at Birth is defined as the number of girls born per 1,000 boys.
The amount of grant-in-aid covers the cost of activities such as inter-sectoral consultation, meetings of state task force, training and capacity building sensitisation programme, innovation and awareness generation activities, monitoring, evaluation and documentation at state and district level.
However, there were no funds sanctioned since 2016 though the fund utilisation certificates were sent by the state to the Ministry periodically.
An official claimed that the BBBP campaign is focused mainly on women empowerment and girl child rights which has minimal effect on the mindset of couples, who favour family planning with not more than two children. The state’s gender budget – spending on women-related schemes – is nearly Rs 40 crore each month.
According to the district task force, the scheme has been received well and in the last two years, several local innovative interventions have been demonstrated by the districts with support from departments of women and child development, health, education and an NGO. More emphasis was laid on long-term attitudinal change through training, sensitisation, awareness raising and community mobilisation on the ground.
But it has been observed by the task force committee that not all the line departments have shown maximum activities so that the funds could be utilised 100 per cent in the same sanctioned year. No activities were carried out by the panchayat department to facilitate special Mahila Gram Sabhas and identification of community watch groups (women panchayat members, youth volunteers) through gram sabhas.
The scheme guidelines state that the district health service department must ensure functioning of anonymous online complaint portal for effective Implementation of Pre-Conception & Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act and also give rewards to the informers to help in identifying the unregistered/ illegal ultrasound machines and clinics indulging in illegal practice of sex selection. However, no such toll free number has been made available to the people in the state, but the department has updated the list of registered ultrasound centres on the national health ministry website.
The department of women and child development, which shares the responsibility of coordinating all the activities related to the implementation of the plan, has organised street plays, baby shows, prabhat pheri and rallies. It has also organised Beti Bachao Beti Padhao week at the taluka level.
However, the education department has been asked to start activities at Balika Manchs to increase participation of girls. It has been directed to organise orientation programmes for school dropouts and the list of school dropout girls enlisted should be submitted to the Collectors to chalk out programme at the earliest.
In its recent meeting, District Collector proposed the members to adopt innovative practice like felicitating girl child and her family at hospital and celebrating girl child day every month on a fixed day to spread awareness on the importance of having a girl child.