New Delhi, Feb 21 (FT) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme that was launched on January 22, 2015, has been hit by a scam in UP.

In a scam that has unfolded in the election-bound state of Uttar Pradesh, fake forms are being sold virtually for a minimum price of Rs 5-10.

While the main source of the distribution of these fake forms is yet not known, these forms are being sold by everyone from a stationary shop owner to a Jan Suvidha Kendra worker.

The scam unfolded as the Ministry of Women and Child Development that is headed by Maneka Gandhi has been receiving a large number of applications forms from the parents of a girl child from across the state in order to avail the benefit of the scheme which does not exist in reality.

According to the benefit that people are falling for under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ yojana, parents of a girl child who fill up the Rs 5 form will be entitled to cash benefit of Rs 2 lakh each in the name of their daughter, and they will be able to encash this amount when their daughter attain the age of 18 years. Ever since this scam started a total number of 30,000 forms have been sold across each district in the state.

The Union Ministery of Women and Child Development issued a warning on February 16 and made it clear that no such benefits exists under the scheme to make people aware of any such frauds but still, the public continues to get fooled. Forms are still being sold and send to the ministry. According to a report in The Times of India, around 5000 forms were sent to the Union Ministry’s office in the last five days.