The West Bengal government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme has bagged the SKOCH award in the women and child development category.
The award is a recognition for the government as well as the nearly two crore women of the state who have been empowered by the scheme, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday.
“I am proud to announce that GoWB’s welfare scheme Lakshmir Bhandar has received the Skoch Award in the Women and Child Development category,” Banerjee tweeted.
“Women empowerment has always been a priority for us. It’s a recognition not only for the government but also the 1.8 crore empowered women of West Bengal,” she added.
The West Bengal government had launched the scheme in August 2021 to provide financial support to a woman head of a family in the age group of 25-60 years. Under the scheme, Rs 500 is given eery month to women in the general caste category and around Rs 1,000 per month to women in the SC and ST categories.
The state government spends around Rs 11,000 crore every year to fund the scheme, sources in the government said.
Instituted in 2003, the SKOCH Award is given for good governance, inclusive growth, excellence in technology and applications, change management, corporate leadership, corporate governance, citizen services delivery, capacity building and empowerment among others.