The government today said the centrally sponsored conditional maternity benefit scheme — Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) — is operational since October 2010 in 52 districts of the country on a pilot basis. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister for Women and Child Development, Mrs Krishna Tirath said the scheme is aimed at improving the health and nutrition status of the pregnant and lactating women and their young infants. She said over one lakh 88 thousand beneficiaries have already been covered under the scheme and the Centre has released over 411 crore rupees during the last two years.