Government Clarifies Expenditure on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme

The Centre has firmly denied allegations that a significant portion of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme's budget was used for advertisements. The claim, suggesting that 80% of the allocated funds went to ads, was countered with official figures.

Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, confirmed in the Rajya Sabha that only 2% of the total expenditure — amounting to Rs 7.02 crore — was actually spent on media advocacy over the span of five years.

The BBBP initiative, launched in 2015 to address child sex ratio discrepancies and promote girls' empowerment, has drawn scrutiny over its fund utilization. Most spending occurred in 2022-23, while media expenses were concentrated in 2020-21, prompting further examination of on-ground results.

(With inputs from agencies.)