Dreze points out flaws in Centre’s maternity scheme
RANCHI: Pointing out lacunae in the central government’s universal maternity entitlements, economist Jean Dreze has said figures released on January 3 do not add up on population projection.
The former member of national advisory council meant to say that the allotment of fund in the scheme for the first three years is not sufficient and lacks adequate calculation, considering the addition in child population due to newborns.
The maternity benefit programme (MBP) scheme launched by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is effective from January 1 this year.
The maternity benefit programme aims to ensure every woman attains optimal nutritional status – the most vulnerable communities in particular under National Food Security Act (NFSA), after it was realised that nutrition constitutes the foundation for human development.
The scheme – cash incentive of ₹6,000 to be transferred to the Aaadhaar linked bank accounts in three installments – is for pregnant women and lactating mothers, excluding those employed in government or public sector or getting similar benefit from other schemes.
Dreze said around 26 million child takes births every year on an average.
“Thus, ₹14,000 crore will be required per year. The Centre’s contribution for the next three financial years is only ₹7,348 crore (₹2,449 crore per annum),” the economist said.
He said: “At ₹6,000 per birth, universal maternity entitlements (assuming, optimistically, that 10 per cent births are already covered under the formal sector) would cost ₹14,000 crore per year.”
This is a fraction of what is actually required, even assuming that only the first two births were covered by maternity entitlements, Dreze said.