Jashpur (Chhattisgarh), Aug 26 (PTI) Respect, safety and empowerment of women form the foundation of a prosperous Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Wednesday.
Participating in a Rakshabandhan programme in Jashpur district, the CM said his government was working to make women economically self-reliant, provide them equal opportunities and ensure their greater participation in family and social decision-making.
Sai took part in the ‘Rakshabandhan Evam Behno Se Samwad’ programme at Pandripani village in Farsabahar development block, where a large number of women tied rakhi to him.
He presented gifts to them and noted the festival of sibling bonding (which will be celebrated on August 28) was also an occasion to reaffirm society’s responsibility towards the dignity, safety and secure future of women.
During the programme, Sai dedicated and performed ‘bhoomi pujan’ for development works worth nearly Rs 64 lakh in Pandripani, including a ‘Mahtari Sadan’ equipped with a meeting hall, training facilities, kitchen and toilets.
He said the facility would provide women self-help groups (SHGs) with a dedicated space for meetings, training and livelihood activities.
Sai also announced construction of Mahtari Sadans (dedicated community centres for rural women and SHGs) in Farsabahar and Bhelwa and said Rs 3.23 crore had been sanctioned for construction of a road connecting the main street with Dani Moda Basti.
Referring to the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, he said the monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 under the government-run scheme was strengthening women’s financial confidence and helping them meet household and livelihood needs.
More than Rs 631 crore was transferred on Tuesday as the 31st instalment into the bank accounts of over 67 lakh women under the scheme with the September instalment released in advance for Rakshabandhan, he said.
The chief minister said the BJP government was working to link women’s skills with livelihood opportunities and strengthen their economic participation through SHGs and other initiatives.
During the event, Mongra Self-Help Group of Bhagora, Vaishnavi Self-Help Group of Kandaibahar and Chand SHG of Kandaibahar received financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh each, while Pratigya Group of Bada Basti received Rs 1 lakh.
Sai maintained that women’s SHGs were strengthening the rural economy and creating new avenues for self-employment and income generation.
Highlighting digital governance initiatives, he noted more than 800 services of 37 departments were now available online through the Seva Setu portal, reducing the need for people to visit government offices repeatedly.
He said Atal Digital Seva Kendras were promoting financial inclusion in rural areas, while Chief Minister Helpline 1076 was facilitating grievance redressal.
On the occasion, the CM distributed property rights documents under the SVAMITVA Yojana to five beneficiaries from Bokhi, Wangaon, Konpara, Bhagora and Telain villages. PTI COR RSY
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