Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday said when a society accommodates women folks to take lead and when it ensures an ambience of respect for the women, the society marches towards progress.
Chief Minister Sonowal said this while speaking at the Mahila Samaroh 2018 organised by the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission and Panchayat and Rural Development Department at Janmukh in Tinsukia district on Wednesday.
“The Government is committed to women empowerment and therefore launched the Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni to take women development to its logical conclusion,” said Sonowal.
Sonowal also said ‘Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni’ has been launched with an aim to lend financial independence to the women folk of the State.
Under this scheme, in the first phase financial grants will be provided to 1.26 lakh women self-help groups and in the next phase another one lakh self-help groups will be given financial grants.
Urging the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to make good use of the financial grants, Sonowal said that the grants should be used to influence financial independence of the women. Moreover, to incentivize the efforts of the women SHGs, Sonowal said that in acknowledgment to good works of the SHGs, first, second and third position holders would be adjudged and rewards of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh would be provided to them.
Stating that to make India developed in all respects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accorded top priority to women empowerment.
Toeing the lines of Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikash’, the State Government has special steps to spread girl education in the state.
He said under Ujjawala Scheme, the Centre has given free LPG connection to 5 crore consumers across the country and the State government has given 16 lakh free LPG connections to women beneficiaries under Ujjawala scheme.
Chief Minister Sonowal again said to fulfil its vested political interests a section is hell-bound to disturb the socio-economic life of Assam.
Urging the people not to be carried away by the ulterior motive of such forces, Sonowal reiterated that the State Government is committed to safeguard the interests of all the ethnic communities of the State.
“In the name of NRC update process, certain forces are trying to spread misgivings to the society,” he said.
He also urged upon all sections of the society not to pay any importance to the evil design of such forces. Sonowal also maintained that under the observation of the Supreme Court of India, State is committed to prepare a correct and flawless NRC.
Emphasising his resolve to make Assam completely free from the scourge of corruption, Chief Minister Sonowal also made it clear that the battle against corruption would go on unrelentingly till the last seed of corruption is weeded out completely.
Stating that in the last two years around 45,000 youths were absorbed in different Government posts in a transparent way, indeed is a testimony to State Government’s intent to give more stress on transparency and meritocracy.
Chief Minister Sonowal also handed over cheques to 22 women SHGs. It may be noted that under Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni altogether 8296 SHGs would be given financial grants from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley, Minister of State for Power Topon Kumar Gogoi, MPs, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Rameswar Teli, Pradan Baruah, Housefed chairman Ranjeet Kumar Dass, MLAs Chakra Gogoi, Terosh Gowala, Sanjay Kisan, Rituparna Baruah, Prasanta Phukan, Bimal Bora, Vinod Hazarika, member secretary of State Level Advisory Committee for Youth and Student Welfare Lakhya Konwar and a host of dignitaries were present on the occasion.