BJP government working for women’s empowerment, says Rajasthan CM

Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma emphasizes women's empowerment and safety, launching new schemes and initiatives for their welfare.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday (December 14, 2024 ) said the “respectable status” of women in the State was a symbol of a strong society, even as his government had been working for women’s empowerment since he assumed office a year ago. Mr. Sharma said women had played an important role in bringing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in the 2023 Assembly election.

Mr. Sharma was addressing a Mahila Sammelan (women’s conference) in Udaipur, organised as part of the BJP government’s first anniversary celebrations. He launched several new schemes for women’s welfare and released loans worth ₹100 crore to women’s self-help groups (SHG) through the Mahila Nidhi Bank, besides transferring the revolving fund of ₹15,000 each to 10,000 SHGs.

Mr. Sharma said that crimes against women had decreased under the BJP’s regime as significant actions had been taken in accordance with the promises made in the ruling party’s manifesto to ensure women’s safety, progress and welfare. “We have succeeded in creating an environment free of fear for women and girls. The Kalika patrolling units, 250 of which have started operating, are providing round-the-clock security to women,” he said.

“In our great ‘Sanatan’ culture, women’s power has been considered supreme and they play an important role in making the society progressive,” Mr. Sharma said, adding that the BJP government was making all possible efforts to provide value-based education and support to girls since the beginning to enable them to make progress in their lives.

The Chief Minister said the Lado Protsahan Yojana launched by his government was providing bonds worth ₹1 lakh on the birth of girls in poor families. He announced the payment of ₹2,500 each as the first instalment to one lakh beneficiaries of the scheme. Subsidy on LPG cylinders to beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act had also been transferred as direct benefit on the occasion.

Mr. Sharma said the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers had been increased by 10%, while the assistance paid under the Prime Minster’s Matru Vandan Yojana had been enhanced from ₹5,000 to ₹6,500. The additional amount of ₹1,500 each had been transferred to 70,000 women during the conference.

About one lakh new ‘Lakhpati Didis’ and 216 ‘Namo Drone Didis’ were honoured by the Chief Minister during the conference. Mr. Sharma also launched a ‘Raj Sakhi’ portal for five lakh SHGs, while affirming that the State government would provide every opportunity to women for self-reliance, enable them to make their dreams come true.