BJP Govt In Haryana In Its 3rd Term Will Work At Faster Pace: PM Modi

The Prime Minister said about 1.15 crore women have become Lakhpati Didi. He has set a target to make 3 crore women as Lakhpati Didi.

Panipat:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the 'Bima Sakhi Yojana' of state-owned LIC in Panipat Haryana. The PM also praised the people of Haryana and said that the state had adopted the slogan "Ek Hai To Safe Hain".

Addressing a gathering after launching the scheme , Modi said that the BJP government in Haryana, in its third term, will work at a faster pace for the development of the state. He said the central government, in the last 10 years, has taken several measures to empower women in various sectors, including defence, banking, and agriculture. The PM further said the third BJP government in Haryana will work at a "three times faster pace" for the development of the state.

PM Modi launched the much-awaited Bima Sakhi Yojana for women from Panipat and also handed over the appointment letter of Bima Sakhi Yojana from the stage to many women from across the country including Panipat. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini were also present with PM Modi. PM Modi also virtually laid the foundation stone of the main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticulture University of Karnal.

PM Modi said that Dec 9 was a very special date. "In the scriptures, the number 9 is considered very auspicious. The number 9 is associated with the nine powers of Nav Durga. We all worship Shakti every year. Today is also a day to worship women power. The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on 9 December. Today, on 9 December, India is taking another big and strong step towards women's development," he said.

PM Modi said that a few years ago he had the privilege of starting the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign from the land of Panipat. “Its positive result has been seen by the whole country along with Haryana. In Haryana too, the lives of thousands of daughters have been saved under this scheme. Today, the Bima Sakhi scheme has been launched from this holy land of Haryana. In this way, Panipat has become a symbol of women power,” he said.

To empower women, Modi said it is very important that they get ample opportunities to move forward and every obstacle is removed from in front of them. When women get an opportunity to move forward, they open new doors of opportunities for the country, the Prime Minister said. He further said that for a long time, many jobs in the country were forbidden for women, but the BJP government has resolved to remove every obstacle coming their way.

Modi also informed the gathering that over 10 crore women across the country are associated with self-help groups. In the last 10 years, the government has provided assistance of more than Rs 8 lakh crore to women-led self-help groups, he noted. Listing out the initiatives taken by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Modi took a dig at the Opposition, saying those who weigh everything on the scale of the vote bank have failed to understand why he was increasingly getting the support of women in the country.

Those who considered mothers and sisters only as a vote bank will not be able to understand this strong relationship, Modi said. The Prime Minister further said about 1.15 crore women have become Lakhpati Didi. He has set a target to make 3 crore women as Lakhpati Didi.

Lakhpati Didi is a member of a self-help group (SHG) who earns an annual household income exceeding Rs 1 lakh. 'Bima Sakhi Yojana', an initiative of state-owned LIC, is designed to empower women aged 18-70 years who are Class X pass. They will receive specialised training and a stipend for the first three years to promote financial literacy and insurance awareness.

Under the scheme, female agents will also get a stipend of Rs 7,000 per month for the first year, Rs 6,000 per month in the second year, and Rs 5,000 per month in the third year. Bima Sakhis will also get the benefit of commission. The plan is to appoint 2 lakh Bima Sakhi over three years. After training, they can serve as LIC agents, and the graduate Bima Sakhis would have the opportunity to qualify for being considered for Development Officer roles in LIC. Prime Minister will also distribute appointment certificates to prospective Bima Sakhis.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the main campus of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal. The main campus and six regional research stations, spread over 495 acres, will be established at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. The university will have one college of horticulture for graduate and post-graduate studies and five schools covering 10 horticulture disciplines. It will work towards crop diversification and world-class research for the development of horticulture technologies.

Speaking on the occasion, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said that Haryana was a land of sacrifice, patience, and service.

“In 2015, PM Modi laid the foundation of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign from Panipat itself, which became a nationwide movement and this campaign improved the sex ratio. Now the sex ratio rate in Haryana has improved from 871 to 916. Today PM Modi is giving the second gift to the sisters of the country from the land of Haryana. For this, I express my gratitude to PM Modi. A target has been set to make 5 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Haryana. So far, more than one lakh Lakhpati Didis have been made in Haryana. At the same time, five thousand drone didis have been made in Haryana,” Saini said. (With inputs from agencies)