Newborn girls get an account to bank on

BHOPAL: Within 7-8 hours of her birth at a civil hospital in Bairagarh, Poonam holds a bank account to her name. The account was opened on September 9 under an initiative by Bhopal division of India Post to empower newborn girls in government hospitals with a bank account.
Poonam was born to Chetram Kushwaha and his wife on September 8.
D C Bhawsar, senior superintendent of Bhopal division, India Post while giving details of the initiative and promoting Beti Bacahao Beti Pahdao said, "The idea is to cover every girl child under this scheme when they are born.On September 9, four accounts were opened. So far we have opened 12 accounts for baby girls at Bairagarh civil hospital."
We will be organising camps at several other government hospitals too, including JP Hospital, Hamidia and Sultania Hospital, as we got good response from parents of girls .
According to the scheme, as soon as a girl child is born, India Post team opens a savings account of Rs 400 and a Sukanya Samriddhi account for Rs 1000. "There are problems with those who get the money through Janani Yojana, where they need to take permission from collector, otherwise those who are having money are opening it happily for their daughters on the spot," said Ravi Sahu, post master, Bairagarh post office.
The scheme is being implemented effectively as a result of which every girl below 10 years of age in Polaha village of Mandideep under Bhopal division has been covered under Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, which means every girl holds a bank account. "There were 157 girls below 10 years of age in the village and now everyone holds a Sukanya Samriddhi bank account and can handle it on their own," added Bhavsar. Next step by India Post is to give all the girls their savings accounts in village. The process will be completed in next 1 month.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was launched by PM Modi on January 21, 2015, under Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Campaign. This scheme was launched to meet expenses of a girl child's higher education and marriage. Money has to be deposited every year in the account up to 15 years and can also be handled by girls themselves after they turn 10. Later, the amount can be transacted for future requirements.
So far, 7073 accounts have been opened in Bhopal division of India post under this scheme.