Sumbhal (UP), June 1: “The last nine years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided Suvidha, Suraksha and Samman to women, and the thoughtfully-planned schemes like Ujjwala for gas connections, Swachhta for female toilets and Jal Jeevan for household tap water not only provided ease of living to women but also gave them a sense of self-confidence with self-esteem,” said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday.
While addressing a congregation of Modi scheme beneficiaries, the majority of whom comprised women, he said, “There has been a paradigm shift in Public Service Delivery and the implementation of government schemes in the last 9 years. Be it DBT, or provision of basic facilities like electricity, water, toilets to poor people, all these have brought a revolution at the grassroots level.”
Dr Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put Nari Shakti at the forefront of India’s development journey. “Mission Shakti comprises two sub-schemes ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’ for the safety, security and empowerment of women. The impact of this approach has been evident in the outcomes, such as an improved sex ratio at birth which is now for the first time 1020 women per 1000 men, a rise in institutional deliveries, declining infant mortality, and a lower maternal mortality rate,” he said.
With a promise to remove drudgery from the daily life of Women, the union minister said the increased usage of LPG cylinders under the Ujjwala Yojana has saved crores of women from chronic respiratory disorders through smoke-free kitchens. With the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, crores of women are now able to access toilets in their homes without any fear of safety or violation of dignity, he said. “Walking long distances to fetch water for daily consumption is becoming a thing of the past as households across the country are getting tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Over 27 crore sanitary pads have been sold at One Rupee at Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said women empowerment is contingent upon the economic empowerment of women. He highlighted the benefits of the MUDRA Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Mahila Samman Savings Certificates, PM Awas Yojana, and other prgorammes.
The government has transformed Women from being targets of welfare to agents of empowerment. “Today it is no longer women development, but women-led development,” he said. Jitendra Singh said that with a view to women empowerment, the Modi government has been guided by the principle of “Suvidha, Suraksha, Samman”.
