Women Empowerment important for speedy development: PM Modi

VADODARA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, stated that women’s empowerment and rapid progress are essential for India’s rapid development in the 21^st century, saying that making women’s life easier and offering opportunities for them to advance are among his government’s top goals.

He said that India makes plans and choices with women’s needs and goals in mind, adding that his government has opened doors for women to pursue careers in domains that they are interested, be it the armed forces or mines. PM Modi was attending a rally in Gujarat, where he launched a project of the Government of Gujarat addressing the nutritional needs of pregnant women and a similar scheme for tribal women. He also launched 18 railway projects worth Rs 16,000 crore via video link and laid the foundation stone for the Central University of Gujarat’s permanent campus and the new building of Bharatiya Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.  . 

PM Modi stated that malnutrition was a big challenge in Gujarat two decades ago, but there have been positive results in this direction. The launch of Mukhya Mantri Matrushakti Yojana worth Rs 800 crore will ensure provision of nutrition to women in the initial days of motherhood. Another scheme Poshan Sudha Yojana which addresses the nutritional needs of the pregnant women has been expanded to tribal women as well. Around 1.36 lakh tribal women are likely to benefit from this programme.

PM Modi mentioned several schemes of the Central Government such as the e-Mamata portal, the observance of September as “Poshan Maah” (nutrition month), the Ujjwala Yojana, Nal Se Jal, and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. As per PM Modi, houses distributed to women under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) have resulted in them owning properties worth Rs 3,000 crore. Speaking of the state’s urban poor and middle-class recipients, he stated that out of 10.5 lakh residences, 7.5 lakh were provided to the poor in urban regions, while 4.5 lakh middle-class households were given assistance to build homes.