Mumbai, The Maharashtra government has simplified the Lek Laadki scheme to empower girls, enabling eligible beneficiaries to apply online and receive financial assistance directly in their linked bank accounts, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Sunday.
The scheme provides financial assistance at different stages of a girl’s life. To ensure that previously excluded beneficiaries get an opportunity to avail the scheme, girls eligible from April 1, 2023, will be allowed to apply until August 15, 2027. The total financial assistance under the scheme is ₹ 1.01 lakh, as per the minister.
Parents of eligible girls can now submit applications directly through the ‘Aaple Sarkar’ portal, while the number of documents required for the application has been reduced, Tatkare said in a statement. For new cases, applications will have to be submitted within a year of the girl’s birth, the statement said. Beneficiaries will no longer have to submit separate applications to receive benefits at subsequent stages, the minister said.
For eligibility, the family must be a resident of Maharashtra, possess a yellow or orange ration card and meet the income and other conditions prescribed by the government. So far, 2,98,695 beneficiaries have received the first instalment under the Lek Ladki scheme, Tatkare said.
