Ludhiana | Women should lead campaign against drug peddlers: Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, during a seminar in Ludhiana, said, “ Although women have 50 per cent reservation in panchayats, and office of the chairperson of panchayat samitis and zila parishad, but only a few of them actively participate at the ground-level.”

Women’s active participation at the village-level can put an end to the problem of drugs in the state, Punjab rural development and panchayat minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said while presiding over a seminar on women empowerment organised by rural development and panchayats separtment at Guru Nanak Auditorium here on Monday.

Cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal at a seminar on women empowerment at Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. (Harvinder` Singh/HT)

He said, “ Although women have 50 per cent reservation in panchayats, and office of the chairperson of panchayat samitis and zila parishad, but only a few of them actively participate at the ground-level.”

Dhaliwal said, “The power of women sarpanches (head of the panchayat) and panchs is exercised by their husbands; their interference in the official work will not be tolerated.” He said he had given strict directions to the department to take action against such practices.

He said, “Women have multi-tasking capabilities and can do wonders in eradicating social maladies by leading the campaign against drug peddlers in their villages.”

Meanwhile, MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik, MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal and joint CP Saumya Mishra also addressed the gathering and exhorted women representatives of panchayats to become role models for the society by ensuring the overall development of villages.

Several women entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHGs) which were invited by the district rural development department to set up their stalls at the seminar recorded a cold response from the public. 75-year-old Amarjit Kaur, who is a resident of Paddi village in Dehlon, said she makes traditional items, including fruit baskets, jaago and chajj with embroidery work on them. She said, “Sales at my stall amounted to ₹500, which is very less given the hard work and high-quality material used.”

She said a number of women had joined her group but left after seeing the low economic returns.

A women entrepreneur who was selling processed food products said, “Apart from inviting to occasional functions and fairs, the department should support women’s self-help groups in showcasing their products to customers through a permanent outlet.”