Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said the State Government aims at strengthening the financial condition of every family of the State and make each woman economically self-reliant.
The Chief Minister said this while participating as Chief Guest at the Mahila Samaroh organised at Halakura Higher Secondary School at Golakganj in Dhubri district on Saturday. The Mahila Samaroh was organised under the aegis of Assam State Rural livelihood Mission under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal distributed cheques of revolving fund under the Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni amounting to Rs 25000 each to the women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from ten numbers of assembly constituencies under Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency. Altogether 6372 SHGs of Dhubli Loksabha would be covered under the scheme with a financial outlay of Rs. 10.54 crore.
Addressing the mammoth gathering, Chief Minister Sonowal informed about the State Government’s initiative to empower the women of the State through the Kanaklata Mahla Sabalikaran Achoni and urged the SHGs to take forward the scheme with uprightness and competitive temperament.
He said that the State Government intends to increase the amount of revolving fund to the SHGs under the scheme on the basis of performance of the SHGs and would also provide training to them to enhance their capabilities.
The CM in his speech underlined the inherent strength of the women to lead their family and the society and called upon them to nurture their children with good moral and human values. He also urged them to encourage the children to invest their energy in different fields of their choice and cited the example of Hima Das as an example of women power in the State.
Sonowal in his speech also stressed on the importance of education for the girl child and informed that the State Government had already announced to set up nine colleges for girls in minority areas out of which two would be set up in Dhubri district.
He also assured to start Science stream in Halakura HS School and also to take expeditious measures for completion of the half done construction of an indoor stadium at Dhubri town.
Regarding the ongoing exercise of NRC update, the CM exhorted the people of the State not to panic or worry about the exercise. He said that the final draft of the NRC would be published on July 30 and if name of any person is not included in the published list, he or she would have opportunity to file claim and objection against the same. Stating that the State Government would also extend necessary support to meet the grievances of the people, the Chief Minister appealed to the people not to make any provocative statement to inflame communal passion. He also advised the people not to be carried away by such statements.
Moreover, the Chief Minister also spoke about the demand of six communities of the State for ST status and said that both Centre and State Government are working with genuine inclination for the communities. He informed that the process is getting prolonged due to technical complications and assured that the Government would take it to right direction in consultation with the representatives of the six communities.
Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Phani Bhushan Choudhary delivering speech on the occasion highly praised the Chief Minister for his initiative to empower the women of the State through Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni.
Minister of State with independent charge for Panchayat and Rural Development Naba Kumar Doley, addressing the gathering informed that the State Government during last two years formed more that 1.10 lakh women SHGs in the State and provided them with financial assistance.
He further said that the revolving fund provided to the SHGs under Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni would be released in five phases starting from Rs 25000 up to Rs 5 lakh depending on the performances of the SHGs.