Women in UP were insecure before BJP came to power in 2017: CM Yogi Adityanath

LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ascent to power in 2014 was the turning point in women’s empowerment, said chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the launch of Mission Shakti phase 3 on Saturday. “It was a year of massive transformation with PM Narendra Modi coming up with a vision to make women independent,” he said.
Stating that no society can progress by ignoring half its population, the chief minister said, Modi provided a new direction to women’s empowerment by launching schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, starting jan dhan accounts to make women financially independent, getting toilets constructed for the poorest, launching Swamitva scheme to ensure women got priority in inheriting property and getting homes built under PM Awas Yojana.
“Everyone is aware of the situation of women in UP before 2017. There was widespread insecurity that impacted women’s sense of independence and dignity. As soon as our government came to power in 2017, we kicked off a special programme for women’s security that culminated in Mission Shakti,” he said.
Laying the foundation of a women’s PAC battalion, the CM said, one unit would be set up in Lucknow and another in Gorakhpur. Commenting on how women were recruited in police, but never deployed in the field, he added his government decided that at least 20% of 1.5 lakh police recruits would be women and 10,000 have been appointed as beat constables.
Elaborating on steps taken by his government to empower women, the CM said they appointed banking correspondent sakhis, who would ensure women did need not visit banks for basic work like making withdrawals and depositing cash. BC sakhis would take these facilities to their doorsteps. Self-help groups were empowered and errant fair-price shops handed over to these groups.
Commending the work done by Balinee Milk Producer Company in Jhansi, the CM said, Rs 35 crore has been approved to set up milk producing companies in other districts as well.
“People have been seeking 35% reservation for women in panchayats, but after recent elections, 54% new gram pradhans, 56% zila panchayat chairpersons and 54% block pramukhs are women,” he said. Governor Anandiben Patel also encouraged women to realise their dreams.
Talking about a change in mindset over past 15-20 years, she said, when she visited the Lucknow Jail after coming to the state and interacted with women convicts, 80% of them said, they had been sentenced for killing their daughters-in-law for dowry. “Now when I go to villages, women say they want to end dowry. Earlier, women were not allowed to work but now there are thousands of self-reliant SHGs. Women did not approve of their daughters being educated, saying their role was to marry and raise children. Now, people realise the necessity of education,” she said.