50 percent reservation to women in panchayat

Vidisha, Jan 18: The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that 50 percent offices in urban civic bodies and three-tier panchayats would be reserved for women in Madhya Pradesh. He was addressing a women empowerment convention here on Friday. The Chief Minister said that now women do not lag behind in any field including administration. A Rani Durgawati Battalion has been raised in which women are being recruited. This would ensure availability of a woman constable in every police station, he added.

The Chief Minister said that a number of schemes are being implemented for betterment of women, which are yielding very good results. The state cannot progress unless women are happy. He said that the state government has taken upon itself the responsibility of marrying off the daughters of poor families under Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana. He said that the state government has launched Ladali Laxami Yojana to promote betterment of women. This would help change the mindset that women are a liability. Now they would be considered as a boon and not a curse, he said. On the birth of a girl child a saving certificate would be provided to her from the government. She would get Rs 2,000 at the time of her admission in the VI class and Rs 4,000, in the IX class and Rs 7,000 in the XI class. On admission in the XI she would get Rs 200 every month for two years. On attaining the age of 21 years she would receive an amount of Rs 1.18 lakh.

Chouhan said that a number of programmes are being implemented for empowerment of women through anganwaris. Janani Express is being made available in every block to take health care of women. The state government has provided social security to workers under Mukhya Mantri Majdoor Suraksha Yojana. Member of Parliament Rampal Singh said that the present state government is the first to have taken so many welfare measures for welfare of women. Other states are eager to know about them. The Finance Minister Raghavji said that women have always been held in very high esteem in India and the tradition is continuing.

The Minister for Public Relations Laxamikant Sharma said that gods dwell in houses where women are respected. He said that women of Madhya Pradesh are realizing the importance of the measures being taken by the state government for their welfare. The Chief Minister felicitated women who have done outstanding work through women and child development department. He also distributed NSCs to 50 beneficiaries under Ladali Laxami Yojana and benefited five beneficiaries under other schemes on the occasion. He also released a booklet “Badhate Kadam” focused on women centric schemes.