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Visionary Raje’s pet scheme is ‘Bhamashah’ for state

Revamped project set to peg 100% benchmark

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Vasundhara Raje
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In 2008, when the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had launched Bhamashah Scheme for the financial inclusion of women in the state, little did she know that the state would inch towards 100 per cent financial inclusion in her second term despite the fact that the Bhamasha Scheme was discarded by Ashok Gehlot government in 2009. But when Raje returned to power, she revived the scheme and launched it again in December 2014 targeting women’s financial empowerment. 

The scheme, which was conceptualised in the election-year of Raje’s previous tenure as chief minister is now nearing 100% completion again in the election year of her second tenure. A leading American Think Tank Centre for Global Development and Microsave in a study has found that Rajasthan is fast approaching towards 100 per cent financial inclusion with a broad support for new digital modes of delivery of benefits especially from women. The think tank’s report - ‘Household Perception and Impact of Bhamashah and Digital Governance Reforms in Rajasthan’ - is based on a first-of-its- kind of survey of the Aadhaar system in the state. The study reveals that at least on household basis, Rajasthan is approaching 100% financial inclusion.  Most of the households are having one or more bank accounts reflecting the success of direct benefit transfer (DBT) through Bhamshah Scheme. The success is even more evident in rural areas where every households reportedly have three or more bank accounts, possibly an oversaturation caused by linkages to multiple programmes.   

The innovative idea has brought in a socio economic revolution in the state. Bhamashah is the first household -level identity system in India. Bhamashah head of household has to be a woman. “Sixty-six per cent of these women opened new bank accounts to register for Bhamashah. Almost all these accounts are linked to Aadhaar and mobile phones,” the report says adding that 81.5 per cent of the households (579) had received their Bhamashah family card. The success of Bhamashah scheme is likely to yield benefits to the BJP government when it goes to elections this year. “Transparency in cash transfers to accounts of beneficiaries have ruled out any corruption and leakages.

This has gone down well with the people,” said Ramesh Singh, a senior government official.

What is Bhamashah Scheme

Bhamashah was conceived as a one-stop solution for the disbursement of all government benefits to the bank account of the lady of the family. Bhamashah has more than 5.61 crore members enrolled with it for getting the benefits of scholarships, pension and MGNREGA payments as well as Indira Awas Yojana among other cash and non-cash schemes in the state. 

  • 5.61 cr registrations
  • Rs 14000 cr deposited directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries
  • 37.5 cr Direct Benefit Transactions
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