E-Paper
Double-engine govt working relentlessly for women’s welfare, says Adityanath
Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana in UP has relieved people of the burden of loans they had to take for their daughters’ marriage in the past, says CM
LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the BJP’s double-engine government in Uttar Pradesh was working relentlessly to make women self-reliant and ensure their safety. He also stressed the need to respect and empower women to build a strong society and country.
The Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana in UP had relieved people of the burden of loans that they had to take for their daughters’ marriage in the past. This initiative proved to be a significant means for facilitating the marriages of daughters, with a total of 300,000 women already married through this programme, he said addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan in Hardoi.
Under the scheme, the government spends ₹51,000 per couple — of this, ₹35,000 each is deposited into the bank account of each bride, ₹10,000 cash as a gift is given to each of the couples and ₹6,000 each goes into making arrangements at the ceremony.
In the programme, the CM inaugurated and laid foundation stone for 217 development projects worth ₹541 crore. He distributed laptops, tablets and cheques to some girls participating in the programme. Adityanath also gave gas connections, cheques, house keys, and toolkits to beneficiary women under various schemes of the central and state governments.
A total of 1.25 crore families in Uttar Pradesh will get the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Svamitva Yojana by December this year and the UP government had so far provided ownership rights to 75 lakh families under this scheme, said the CM.
He added the government was committed to supporting destitute women through the Destitute Women Pension Scheme, which provides an annual allowance of ₹12,000 to 29 lakh women.
The CM said by giving 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies through the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, Prime Minister Modi has made arrangements wherein after delimitation, mothers and sisters of the country will get the opportunity to become MPs and MLAs on one-third of the seats.
Between 1947 and 2017, the state police force had only 10,000 women personnel. But in six years, UP government significantly increased this number to 40,000 through additional recruitment initiatives, he added.
The CM said the outcomes of Prime Minister Modi’s Khelo India and Fit India movements were now becoming visible, and for the first time, India won 107 medals in the Asian Games.
Adityanath said the state government will make arrangements for the players, who win medals for the country in any world championship, to make adjustments in various government services as per the medal.
Additionally, he highlighted the government’s initiatives, including providing uniforms, bags and books to girls studying in basic education council schools, ensuring access to essential educational resources for every student enrolled in these institutions.
Asserting that the double engine government was continuously working to end discrimination between sons and daughters, Adityanath said: “ ₹25,000 will be given under the Kanya Sumangala Scheme from the new session. A budget has been arranged for this.”
He highlighted that 17 lakh daughters were currently benefiting from this scheme and the government intends to expand its reach further. He emphasised that the government was now taking comprehensive measures to support daughters, spanning their education, employment, and marriage prospects.
Minister of state for cooperation (independent charge) JPS Rathore, excise minister Nitin Agarwal, minister of state for higher education Rajni Tiwari, MP Ashok Rawat, former MP Naresh Agarwal, district panchayat president Premavati Verma, MLA Ashish Singh ‘Ashu’ and other dignitaries were present in the programme.
