Bengaluru Mayor said the initiative has been taken to protect the girl child
When 30-year-old Pushpa gave birth at a hospital in Bengaluru shortly after midnight on January 1, little did she expect her newborn to be the first girl child born in the city in 2018. And her joy was doubled when she learnt that she is receiving a certificate of guarantee of Rs 5 lakh for her girl child from the city Mayor.
Mayor Sampat Raj told NDTV that this initiative has been taken in order to protect the girl child as many financially weak families kill their girl child.
"A joint account in the name of the joint commissioner of the BBMP and the girl will be opened and the interest earned out of the 5 lakh rupees will be spent to meet the expenses on her education," said Mr Raj.
Pushpa was admitted to the BBMP Maternity Hospital Rajaji Nagar around 9:30 pm on December 31 and she gave birth to the girl at 12:05 am. The city Mayor had announced that the first girl child through normal delivery in any of the 40 BBMP run hospitals would be given this amount to secure her future.
"I was not aware of the scheme that the first girl child of the year would get Rs 5 lakh. The nurse in the maternity ward told me about it. I did not believe but when officials came to see me the next day... There was no way not to believe," said the proud mother.
Her husband works as a sales representative in a private firm and the couple wants the daughter to become a civil servant. Pushpa works in Vidhan Soudha on contract.