"Laadli Laxmi" Scheme in Goa : Take Rs.1 Lakh & Get Married & Settle Down "Laadli" !
"Laadli" can't be Laxmi in Goa. She is still just a "marriage burden", according to Government of Goa.
The Ladli Laxmi Yojana had its inception back in April 2007 by the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. It is currently operational across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand.
"Laadli Laxmi Scheme was launched on 06/07/2012 as one of the flagship programmes of the State Government with an intention to address the undesirable tendency of female foeticides and with a aim towards erasing the general perception that the birth of a girl in the family is the burden on her parents/guardian during her marriage."
And thus reads the “Details of The Scheme at Govt Of Goa’s Scheme Website”
Laxmi is the Goddess of wealth and good fortune. A girl child born in Goa, according to Government of Goa is a burden, and the biggest of them all is the marriage of girl child.
That's why in November 2022, the "Laadli Laxmi" scheme was modified where, the payment of Rs.1 Lakh would be made to girl child/woman only for the marriage purpose and not for education or establishing any entrepreneurial enterprise.
While, there are a lots of avenues to avail funds for starting an enterprise, education is something which should not have been excluded from the mandate, specially when there is a cap on the parents combined income at Rs.3 Lac per annum, for availing the benefit of the scheme.
Higher education, specially professional education is now a days so prohibitive even in the government institutions that, Rs.1 Lakh amount is peanuts.
This is when Chief Minister of Goa currently, Mr. Pramod Sawant is himself father of a girl child.
If he is not sensitive to this thought, then who else will.
While the scheme is operating in other states also, and not novel to Goa; in other states the emphasis is more on making the girl child ambitious through learning and then making her rise on her own abilities and skills, through either a good job or an entrepreneurial venture.
"Laadli Laxmi" the name itself signifies that, Girl Child is akin to Laxmi, who would bring fame and fortune to the family. How can this happen, when the financial assistance, is limited to only their marriage?
Sure, there are a lot of avenues to avail, even educational loans, but the domain which can avail this is very limited, in Goa, they can be counted on fingers in hundred may be.
"Laadli" can be Laxmi, only if she has avenues for higher education,so that she can choose a career of her choice and strive to make herself proud.
Every "Laadli" residing in Goa, and Not limited to only those "Laadlis" residing in Panjim.