Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said that no one can ignore the half population and that his government was always committed to facilitate the members of fairer sex to come forward and contribute in the progress of the State as well as the Country.
Yadav announced a cash reward of Rs 11 lakh for Kalbaliya dancer Gulabo Sapera. Speaking at a programme held to felicitate women here on Saturday morning, Yadav said that his government was always committed for welfare and security for the females who constitute half of the population. "Women make up half the population of the country and they cannot be ignored. Any country where women lag behind cannot progress," he said.
Stressing that his government has been working for the "honour, security and progress of women", Yadav cited various schemes in Uttar Pradesh being run specifically for them. ``Besides providing Rs 500 monthly under Samajwadi Pension Scheme to 55 lakh families, my government had always honoured the females by facilitating them with free laptops,
monetary help under Kanya Vidya Dhan Scheme, recently honoring outstanding women who excel in their fields under Rani lakshmi Bai Mahila Samman, Yash Bharati Awards etc", he added. Yadav also reminded of Women Powerline (1090) which provide round the clock security to females, `102’ to provide free ambulance services to pregnant women to reach hospital and later to drop them back after delivery etc, and said very soon an integrated police control room (dial 100) will come-up which facilitate immediately police response to anyone who is in distress.
Condemning the pratice of female foeticide, Yadav said his government will ensure "strict compliance" with the law against it even as he called for a "change in mentality" to fight the menace. "The government will deal with the problem with full sincerity and ensure strict compliance with the law for checking female foeticide," he said while addressing the women achievers.
The chief minister further stressed that ending the evil would "also require a change in mentality".
"Girls are the strength of the family... nobody can forget Rani laxmibai... she was the symbol of woman power," he said.
Meanwhile replying to a query of acute shortage of toilets in the city, Yadav assured that his government will facilitate `washroom’ especially for women on all important crossing in big cities so may not face any problem.