Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday said that in Chhattisgarh, the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ campaign is turning into a public movement.
Chhattisgarh is far ahead of national average in terms of male-female population ratio. Chhattisgarh has 991 females per 1,000 males, he said.
The Chief Minister was addressing citizens in his monthly radio programme- ‘Raman Ke Goth’, aired from Raipur centre of All India Radio.
On the occasion, Singh extended hearty wishes of Shardiya Navratri and International Girls’ Day to people of the State.
The Chief Minister also greeted people on Vijaydashmi, Karwachouth, Dhanteras, and Dipawali, and extended warm wishes for ‘Rajyotsav’- Chhattisgarh State Formation Day to be celebrated on November 1 this year.
Singh emphasised on how cleanliness is related to prosperity in Indian culture and appealed people to acknowledge the significance of cleanliness in the festival of Diwali.
Singh said, “Toll free helpline 1091 for women has been initiated in every district of the State. Women may call for help on this number in any situation of crisis and register complaint.”
For prevention of domestic violence and family disputes, Women Advisory Centre has been established under Superintendent of Police in each District Headquarters, he said.
Special investigation units have also been established in seven districts of the State, for investigation of cases related to crime against women. In this way, women in Chhattisgarh are being provided social, financial and legal support, so that they may come forward to take up the profession of their choice and become financially independent, he said.
Chief Minister said, “Many women in Chhattisgarh have earned recognition and fame in their respective fields, but there are also many of the kind, who are working, achieving and setting milestones in anonymity without any expectations for name and fame.”
In the context, Singh mentioned about female health worker of Naxal-affected Bijapur district Chandrakanta Neelam, who is posted in sub-health centre of village Saknapalli (Bhopalpatnam block).
The Chief Minister said that Neelam doesn’t count hours of her duty, instead she has worked day and night to promote institutional deliveries in 11 villages.
She has made a team of Mitanins and Aanganbadi workers, who maintain record of entire details about pregnant women. With her efforts and dedication, vaccination and institutional deliveries in these villages has improved by 25 per cent in two years.
Singh mentioned about the exemplary initiatives taken by district administration and health department in Kanker district under Chirayu Yojana.
He said, “During my recent visit to Kanker, I was pleased to see health department’s initiative of integrating various schemes.
The Chief Minister said that in Kanker district, health check up of children enrolled in Aanganbadi centres as well as school students of standard 1-12th was done. Nearly 16,000 children were given medical treatment, and 412 children were selected for operations. Operation of 101 children has already been done.”
This includes 38 cases of heart operation. Besides, 13 operations of cataract and hearing impaired were also done. Operation of more than 300 children will be done in next eight months, he said.
The Chief Minister said that other districts should take inspiration from Kanker district and work dedicatedly to provide maximum benefits of health schemes to people.
Farmers of a village constructed a 700-metre canal by the sheer dint of ‘Shramdhan’ and irrigated about 500 acres agriculture land at village Thumdiksa on the Rajnandgaon-Durg districts’ border, he said.
The Chief Minister praised the villagers and expressed his deep satisfaction that community work of the entire village had transformed the landscape into lush greenery. Singh added the citizens of the village are grouping themselves and developing the surroundings.
Singh paid his obeisance to the various ‘Shaktipeeths’ and religious places. Devotees walk long distances and visit these religious places. They are provided food, drinking water, medical facilities and resting places.
He appreciated the social work carried on by individuals and Samitis and greeted the listeners on the auspicious occasion of ‘Sharadiya Navratri’ and said that in every village and town people worship some Goddess or the other. Fairs (Melas) are full of people during Navratris.
He referred to Ma Danteshwari of Dantewada, Mawli Mata of Narayanpur, Kankaleen Mai of Kanker, Maa Bambleshwari of Dongarhgarh, Ratanpur, Raipur and Ambikapur’s Maa Mahamaya, Devi Chandrahasini of Chandrapur.
He also metioned Malhar’s Maa Deedneshwari, Rajnandgaon’s Sheetla Mata and Paataal Bhairavi, Balod’s Siyadevi, Garibandh’s Maa Jatbhai, Gangrel’s Maa Angaarmoti, Sonpur’s Maa Jwala, Dhamtari’s Bilai Mata and Chaiturgadh’s Mahisasur Mardini. Meanwhile, Singh gave a quick response to the letter he received from a pregnant woman, wife of a disabled citizen, and ensured that she got free lPG connection under Ujjwala Yojana.
The Chief Minister mentioned about this letter he received from Pithora (Mahasamund district), in today’s episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Raman Ke Goth’. He said, “Tirith Bai Tarak of Pithora had written letter to him, after listening to ‘Raman Ke Goth’. She had stated in the letter that her husband is physically disabled and she is pregnant. She couldn’t even get her smart card issued and had requested for lPG connection under Ujjwala Yojana. I immediately directed Mahasamund Collector to take note of Tirith Bai’s grievance.”
Singh further said as she had written letter to me after listening ‘Raman Ke Goth’, I would like to mention that she has been provided both a smart card and an lPG connection.