Bengal govt celebrates girl child every day, says Didi
Times of India | 25 January 2026
Kolkata: The Bengal govt celebrates the girl child every day of the year, said CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, on the occasion of National Girl Child Day, adding that her govt has pledged to provide girls an environment where they can "breathe freely, learn fearlessly and lead boldly." The comments come months before elections in Bengal and at a time when Trinamool has been trying to gain support from women in the state.
"On National Girl Child Day, I extend my heartiest love and blessings to every daughter of Bengal and India. They are the future architects of our society," the CM wrote on X.
"In Bengal, we don't celebrate the girl child merely on one day. We celebrate her and empower her every single day of the year, at all crossroads of her life. From her birth to her education and self-reliance, at every single turn, our govt stands by her as a supportive hand-holder," the CM said.
Banerjee said a girl's journey begins with Kanyashree. "Kanyashree is our globally acclaimed and awarded pioneer initiative to promote girls' education and well being by discouraging their unhealthy early marriage. One crore girls over the years have been financially supported by us in this scheme," she said.
The scheme Sabooj Sathi eases child's movement to schools with a bicycle, the CM said, adding that girls also get support from Shikshashree, Aikyashree, Medhashree, Taruner Swapna, in addition to getting free books, school uniforms, shoes and mid-day meals.
These benefits don't end in school or college, the CM said. "When a girl finally marries, she gets one-time financial assistance under our Rupashree scheme. Then, an adult senior is enrolled in Lakshmir Bhandar, which now provides financial independence to 2.21 crore women of Bengal who get direct monthly cash transfers from the state govt."
"As the prime anchor of the household, she also gets Swasthya Sathi card, which gives her and her family assured health insurance coverage at Rs 5 lakh per year," Banerjee said.
"Today, Bengal's daughters are excelling in every field, from the laboratories of science to the podiums of international sports. We reaffirm our pledge to provide them with an environment where they can breathe freely, learn fearlessly, and lead boldly," she added.