Look beyond the `one-off` negatives, focus on positive work: Nitish Kumar on Muzaffarpur case

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday called the Muzaffarpur sex scandal a 'one-off' negative and asked people to focus on positives. "Please focus on the positive work as well and not just the one-off negative things. The guilty will be punished. Those who try to shield the guilty will also be punished. We will not spare anyone," he said.  

At a time when Nitish is facing a barrage of attacks over the Muzaffarpur sex scandal, he launched an ambitious scheme which promises to provide Rs 54,100 from the birth of a girl child till she graduates.

Launching the 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana', he expressed his government's resolve for empowerment of women. While speaking about the scheme, he had also said that he was "standing with mixed feelings" over the case of sex abuse at a state-funded girls' shelter home at Muzaffarpur".

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also made several other announcements like increasing the amount under the 'Bicycle Yojna' from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000. The scheme, launched by Nitish Kumar government in 2006, providing bicycles to school going girls, has won laurels in the country and abroad.

He also announced doubling the amount for purchase of sanitary napkin to Rs 300 from existing Rs 150 under the 'Kishori Swasthya Yojna.'

The ambitious 'Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana' will be run by three departments -- education, health and social welfare.

Giving details of the scheme, Kumar had said on birth of a girl child her family would get Rs 2000. After preparation of her Aadhaar card, the family would get an additional amount of Rs 1000.

If the family completes the whole range of immunisation within two years of a girl's birth, it will get a sum of Rs 2000.

After entry into class one in a school, a girl will get Rs 600 for purchase of uniform. Similarly, she will get Rs 700 for uniform in between class three to five and it will be scaled up to Rs 1000 when she reaches 6th to 8th standard and Rs 1500 in between 9th to 12th standard.

On clearance of Intermediate, a sum of Rs 10,000 will be given to encourage her to pursue higher education. For this, only unmarried girls are eligible. After doing graduation, she will get Rs 25,000. This will be applicable to married as well unmarried women of a family having only two girls. A sum of Rs 7221 crore will be spent in a year on the programme.

(With PTI inputs)