While addressing a programme ‘Ekanki Mahilao ki dasha par lok sunwai (public debate on single women condition), jointly organized by Swayamsiddha and State Women Commission in Derhadun on Saturday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat assured that the state government would be more sensitive towards the women who belong to the economically and socially weaker stratum. “ Disbursing pensions alone is not the panacea. They must be made self -employed or self dependent,” he stressed.
He said he has sent a request to the Union government to amend the norms of BPl so as to bring economically weaker solitary women under BPl category. “ In the coming days, the state government would increase the social security pension upto `3000 and the single women would be brought under pension cover,” he assured.
“We have been disbursing pension among widows, divyaang and deserted women. For this, there is not certification required because they can seek pension through self -attested forms. Now, we are considering to bring the single women, who have remained unmarried due to some reasons and been living alone, under pension category,” CM said.
“We have increased social security pension amount to Rs 1000 from the previous `200 per month. Senior citizens are getting `1500 per month. Pensioners’ number has shot up to 7.25 lakh from 1.74 lakh. Now, the state government would increase the pension amount upto `3000 per month,” he added.
“We are sure that pension can hardly solve problems in their wholeness. However, we can take pride in the fact that we top among the states in terms of the amounts we are releasing by way of pension. It signifies our accountability to the weaker section,” he said.
“To deal with the problems single women are facing, the state government has established single women cell. For social security, we may create a regulatory body which would look after the pensioners’ woe at the state and the district levels,” CM said.
Dwelling on the self- help groups being used as instruments of women empowerment, he said that women self -help groups (SHG) are being given `5000 as wake-up money. “ If they start their own entrepreneurial ventures we would give them `20000 by way of financial aid. If they (SHG) do community farming the state government gives Rs one lakh as financial aids to them. We have established four women shelters and if people who have lands on roadside, want to create shelters thestate would be their partner,” he said.
Appreciating the organizers, CM said that the state government is eager to promote the craft women by provide them training from Nanda Devi Centre for Excellence. “Thereafter, the women can form SHGs and the marketing of their products would be done by the state government,” he said.