The Centre has spent a total of Rs 364 crore since 2014 in advertising the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet projects that aims to improve the child sex ratio, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said Friday.
The highest amount spent on advertising the campaign was Rs 155.71 crore in 2018-19 (till December 31, 2018), Minister of State for Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
The government spent Rs 18.91 crore in 2014-15, Rs 24.54 crore in 2015-16, Rs 29.79 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 135.71 crore in 2017-18, he said.
The BBBP scheme was launched by the prime minister in January 2015 in Haryana's Panipat. It focuses on districts with the worst child sex ratio (CSR) as per the 2011 Census.
The key elements of the scheme include nation-wide awareness, advocacy campaign, and multi-sectoral action, Kumar said.
The multi-sectoral actions include effective enforcement of Pre Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act, pre-natal or post-natal care of a mother, to improve enrolment of girls in schools, community engagement or training or awareness generation, he said.
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Since 2018-19, all 640 districts (as per census 2011) of the country have been covered under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme, Kumar said.
"Out of 640 districts, 405 are covered through multi-sectoral intervention and media and advocacy while 235 districts covered through alert media and advocacy outreach," he added.