JAMMU, JUNE 04: Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti has said her Government is committed to people’s welfare, especially the weaker sections and the women.
“We have already taken several path-breaking initiatives for the welfare and empowerment of the women and I hope these measures will give the desired results soon,” the Chief Minister said while speaking at a function organised at the newly constructed Convention Centre here to felicitate the proud parents of meritorious daughters, who have excelled in various fields. The programme was organized to promote Government of India’s flagship women-empowerment initiative “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”.
Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, Minister of State for Tourism and Education, Ms Priya Sethi, Vice-Chairman SC Advisory Board, Mr B L Dogra, Legislators, Mr Sat Sharma, Dr Gagan Bhagat and Mrs Rani Bloeria were present on the occasion.
“We want a society where women live a life of dignity. She cannot become the victim of societal prejudice and dogmas often evoked in the name of social forbiddances,” the Chief Minister said.
“To ensure focussed capacity building of the women, the Government is setting of women specific entrepreneurship centres both at Jammu and Srinagar,” she said and added that some other measures include establishment of women police stations, women special buses, reservation of 10% land for women entrepreneurs in industrial estates of the State, 50% subsidy for girl students for purchase of scooters and marriage assistance scheme.
The Chief Minister said these may look small initiatives for some people but being a lady herself she knows the essence of these measures well. “I will continue my efforts to ensure that the women get their due in the society,” she said.
The Chief Minister also awarded some parents on this occasion whose daughters have excelled in various fields. They were given certificates as “Ambassadors of Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao Programme”.
The programme was organized by the district administration Jammu to honour the parents for providing their daughters not just an opportunity to take birth but for giving their quality life and empowering them with best education, the basic premise of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” programme.
Speaking on the occasion, District Development Commissioner Jammu, Dr Simrandeep Singh said under this innovative initiative a task force was constituted comprising District Development Commissioner Jammu, Chief Planning Officer Jammu, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Education Officer, Programme officer ICDS and District Social Welfare officer Jammu to shortlist such parents who have ensured real empowerment of the girl child. He said applications were sought from the parents having daughters only and after scrutiny of about 554 cases, 332 cases were shortlisted as per the criteria for being designated as the Ambassadors.
As part of this initiative Concept Classes were also started for the girl students after a survey through Child-line Jammu to ascertain their academic needs and they were enrolled for special classes for academic curriculum of classes 10th and 12th and for competitive examinations.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal and other senior officers of the civil and police administration besides a large number of people including respectable citizens of Jammu were present on the occasion.
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