Himachal government has started many schemes for women’s empowerment: Shandil
Senior Congress leader and Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil said in a press statement issued here today that the present state Congress government has started many schemes in the direction of women empowerment and has implemented them so that they can be empowered in society. They can be empowered and can lead respectable life.
He said that fulfilling its election promise, the state government has started the Indira Gandhi Pyari Brahmin Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana for girls and women above 18 years of age, under which each eligible person is being provided Rs 1500 per month. The work of filling out forms under the scheme has been started and women have started getting its benefits. BJP is repeatedly going to the Election Commission to deprive the women of the state of their rights and is creating hurdles in pension. He said that 2.42 lakh women in the state were getting a monthly social security pension of Rs 1000 or 1150, which has been increased to Rs 1500 by the present state government and they have also started getting this amount. He said that the government has increased the amount of assistance given under the Widow Remarriage Scheme from Rs 65 thousand to Rs 2 lakh.
Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil said that reservation for girls in police recruitment was increased from 25 percent to 30 percent. He said that in the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling Land Holding Act, 1972, the son was considered as a separate unit in the family and girls were deprived of being considered as a separate unit. But the present state government amended this Act and made daughters a separate entity and ended the discrimination against them. The senior Congress leader said that under the Indira Gandhi Girl Child Protection Scheme, the current Congress government has increased the incentive amount of Rs. 35,000 to a family adopting family planning after one daughter to Rs. 2 lakh and Rs. 25,000 for family planning after two daughters. It has been decided to increase the amount of Rs 1000 to Rs 1 lakh.
Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil said that the present government is starting Mukhyamantri Sukh-Shiksha Yojana in the state, under which the state government will bear the expenses on the education of children of widows up to 27 years of age. One thousand rupees per month will be deposited to all eligible children of widow, destitute, divorced and disabled parents till the age of 18 years. The Health Minister said that under the Chief Minister Widow and Single Women Housing Scheme, the amount for house construction will be increased from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. He said that the present government has increased the honorarium of Anganwadi workers, mini Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi helpers, Asha workers, mid-day meal workers and sewing teachers.