On the occasion of International Girl Child Day, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated girls and women of the state and urged the people to work collectively towards ensuring gender parity in the society and reaffirm commitment to ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’.
The Chief Minister said, let us pledge to provide our girls a world which is safe, equal, progressive and full of opportunities. The State Government is committed for the welfare and development of girl child and several welfare schemes have been launched for their socio-economic upliftment.
Thakur said under ‘Beti Hai Anmol Yojana’, the lump sum assistance grant to the girl child born in the BPL family has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. Under Mother Teresa Asahaya
Matri Sambal Yojana, the amount of assistance given for the upbringing of two children has been increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 per child per year.
Under Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojana, the assistance grant for the marriage of destitute girls has been increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs 51,000 which had benefited about 10,000 girls.
Saksham Gudiya Board has been constituted with an aim to empower girls and adolescent girls in the state and to curb the crimes against them. Apart from this, Sashakt Mahila Yojana was implemented in the state with the aim of making adolescent girls and women between 11 years and 45 years aware of their rights and developing their skills and connecting them with economic activities, the Chief Minister said.
He added Mahila Kalyan Board has been reconstituted under the chairmanship to suggest policies for the empowerment and protection of women. Similarly, under Mukhya Mantri Bal Uddhaar Yojana, an annual scholarship of Rs 10,000 was provided in the financial year 2019-20 to the children of Bal Evam Balika Ashrams, who have secured the first two positions in the 2nd class to Class 8, he added.