Panaji, Jul 19 (IBNS): A lawyer-activist has slapped a legal notice on Goa government objecting to the high-handed manner in which the ‘Laadli Laxmi’ scheme was being implemented.

Advocate Aires Rodrigues sent a legal notice to Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava giving him 48 hours to amend the scheme by making applications available to the people through Women and Child Welfare Department and not through legislators or ministers.

Nearly 4000 applications vanished from the WCD last week after the MLAs took them in bulk to distribute among their voters.

WCD Director Sunil Masurkar is quoted saying that the department issued 4000 forms in its first phase through MLAs, and the next set of 4000 forms are expected within this month.

“Laadli Laxmi scheme is a public scheme to be borne by public funds. It should be made available at government offices and cannot be allowed to be distributed only through MLAs and ministers,” Adv Rodrigues demanded in the notice.

He has threatened to move the Bombay High Court if the government fails to modify the scheme also because the government has made it mandatory that forms should be signed and the photo of the applicant endorsed by an MLA or MP.

“MLAs and MPs are elected to draft, debate and legislate good laws. They cannot be allowed to usurp the power of government departments which are supposed to manage and implement government schemes freely and fairly without any political bias,” Adv Rodrigues said further.

As per the scheme, the government will give financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to girls between the age group of 18 and 40 years for their wedding with retrospective effect from April 1, 2012.

The government has reserved Rs 150 crore fund for the scheme in view of 10,000 marriages registering in the state every year.

(Reporting by John Edwards)