Uttar Pradesh Government officials have ensured that two populist schemes announced on Chief Minister Mayawati's birthday on January 15 have been completed in a record time. Fixed deposits certificates, cheques and bicycles for the schemes - Mahamaya Garib Balika Ashirvad Yojna and Savitri Bai Phule Balika Shiksha Madad Yojna - were distributed by the Chief Minister to 10 lucky beneficiaries on Wednesday at her official residence. In the rest of the state, these were handed over to beneficiaries by district magistrates.

The schemes announced and implemented in 20 days' time, just before the Lok Sabha elections, are going to cause an annual dent of over Rs 2,000 crore to the state exchequer.

Under the first scheme, the Government will make a fixed deposit of Rs 22,000 in the form of National Savings Certificate (NSC) in the name of each girl born on or after January 15 in a family living below poverty line. The condition for the scheme is that the birth should be registered and parents should ensure her studies and not let her get married till the age of 18 years. In the other scheme, the Government will give Rs 25,000 and a bicycle each to girls from families living below poverty line for their education in classes 11 and 12.

"The way Mayawati has become a minister I want my daughter to become a minister too" is how Malti Devi, a widow, expressed her gratitude towards the state Government when her daughter received the cheque along with a bicycle. Malti works as a housemaid and came to know about the scheme through her neighbour who is a contractor and associated with the ruling BSP.

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