Girl child protection scheme of Andhra Pradesh

The Girl Child Protection Scheme of the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is aimed at preventing gender discrimination by empowering and protecting rights of girl children through direct investment from Government.

Aims

• Promote enrollment and retention of the girl child in school and to ensure her education at least up to intermediate level.
• Encourage girls to get married only after the age of 18 years.
• Encourage parents to adopt family planning norm with two girl children.
• Protect the rights of the girl child and provide social and financial empowerment to girl child.
• Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls.
• Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of the girl child.
• Extend a special dispensation to Orphans/Destitutes and differently abled girls

Eligibility Conditions

A) Only those who fulfill the following conditions will be eligible for enrollment under the New Girl Child Protection Scheme:-

• Families with only single girl child or only two girls shall be eligible.

• Either of the parents should have undergone family planning operation on or after 01-04-2005.
• For Children born before 03-01-2013 the total annual income of the family of girl child shall have to be below Rs.20,000/- per annum for rural areas and Rs.24,000/- per annum for urban areas.
• For Children born on or after 03-01-2013 the total annual income of the family of girl child shall have to be below Rs.40,000/- per annum for rural areas and Rs.48,000/- per annum for urban areas.
• Families having single girl from 0-3 years of age, will be given first priority.
• Second priority will be for families having two girl children of whom the age of the second girl child should not be more than 3 years as on 01-04-2005.
• The age of the child on the date of application shall be the criteria for determining the eligibility of the child for the benefit under the scheme.
• Consequent to enrollment, those who fulfill conditions as prescribed shall be eligible to receive the benefits under the scheme.
• Girl child born after August, 2009 should get registered under RBD Act and produce birth certificate from competent authority i.e., Village Secretary/Municipality concerned.

B) Relaxation of age and formal education for Orphans, Destitutes, HIV/AIDS victims and disabled girls:-

• Orphan will mean a girl child not having both parents. Destitutes will mean girl child from a BPL family of trafficked victims or HIV/AIDS victims etc., forsaken by their family/ parents and sheltered by govt. or recognized NGO's.
• All such destitutes or orphans or disabled girls who have not crossed 18 years as on May, 2008 will be eligible for the benefits under Girl Child Protection Scheme.
• The condition of formal education will be relaxed in respect of orphans, destitutes and differently abled girls, who are born before April, 2005. Those girls who do not pursue education beyond 8th class will naturally not be eligible for yearly education scholarships. They will only receive Rs.1 Lakh or Rs.30,000/- as applicable on completion of 20 years.
• Therefore, all destitutes orphans and differently abled girls born after April, 2005 shall also necessarily be enrolled in a school & continued upto, XII class to be eligible for the benefit under GCPS.

Note: In case of destitute or orphan child, the head of the institutions based on a medical certificate shall ensure the birth registration is completed. In case the caste is unknown, the caste of all such children shall be recorded as "casteless".

C) Relaxation of Education, income, & Girl sibling conditions for severely Disabled Girls:-

The following special dispensation only to severely differently abled girls is extended:-

• The girls whose disability is more than 80% shall be eligible for the benefits under Girl Child Protection Scheme provided the income of their Parents / Guardian from all sources does not exceed Rs.1.00 lakh per annum.
• In respect of severely Disabled Girls (more than 80% disability) the condition of the Girl Child being either single or two girls alone shall not apply. A Girl with one or two male siblings will also be eligible for the benefit of Girl Child Protection Scheme.
• The condition of formal education shall be relaxed in case of such severely disabled girls.

Entitlements under Scheme

• In case of a single girl child she is entitled to receive Rs.1.00 lakh after completion of 20 years of age.
• In case of two girl children, both of them are entitled to receive Rs.30,000/- each, after completion of 20 years age.
• Both the "single girl child" and "two girl children" are entitled to receive Rs1,200/- per annum as scholarship from 9th class to 12th class (including ITI course) during their period of study, as a benefit under the scheme.

On natural death of insured	Rs.30,000
On death or total permanent disability due to accident	Rs.75,000
On partial permanent disability due to accident	Rs.37,500

Note: The insured parent member under Janasree Bima Yojana in GCPS is father of the Girl Child and the nominee to receive the insurance benefit is mother of the Girl Child. In case father is not alive then mother name can be given as insured parent for coverage under Janasree Bima Yojana and nominee will be the Girl child and appointee as may be confirmed by Grantee or Project Director, District Women & Child Welfare Agency.

How to Apply ?

ICDS Area
Those who fulfill the eligibility conditions can obtain the application form from the anganwadi worker concerned or download the forms. Submit the same with enclosures to the Anganwadi worker concerned.

Non ICDS Area
In respect of Applicants from other than ICDS Project areas they can submit their applications to the Child Development Project Officer concerned (CDPO).

List of Enclosures:

• Two Photographs
• Income certificate issued by MRO
• Family Planning Certificate
• Attested copy of Birth Certificate
• Attested copy of White Ration Card
• Disability Certificate Issued by Chief Medical Officer(In case of Orphan/Disabled)
• Sterilization Certificate Issued by Medical Officer

When to Apply ?

As soon as an eligible applicant (with income below Rs 20000 per annum for Rural areas and Rs 24000 per annum for Urban areas) has one daughter or two daughters and undergoes family planning operation, he/she can apply to Anganwadi worker/Child Development Project Officer within the age of 3 years of girl child.

Source : Girl Children Protection Scheme