Hyderabad: Union Minister of Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy said on Monday laid stress on women’s empowerment to make them stakeholders in country’s development which is top on the agenda of the Modi government in the last nine and half years.
Addressing as chief guest at the Shakti Vandan workshop in Hayatnagar, he said efforts are being made to raise awareness among women on government’s initiative for women’s empowerment. ‘The Centre has been promoting women self-help groups (SHGs) introduced by former Prime Minister AB Vajpayee with a message and explaining the importance of SHGs to women in every poor household. ‘Efforts are being made to make women in large numbers to be part of thrift groups. ‘Currently there are 1,200 million SHGs across the country, he added. ‘Women have freedom to participate in SHGs and the process is transparent. The Centre ensured that women get a bank loan of up to Rs 20 lakh for running their enterprises. The Centre has decided to give bank loans to SHGs that have come forward through the Standup India programme for setting up industries and businesses.
He said it was the proactive steps taken by Modi that the 70-year pending women’s reservation bills are being implemented to give 33%t quota for women in legislatures.
The triple talaq hanging like a sword over heads of Muslim women was taken to taken up to provide them with much-needed relief. With this decision, Modi has stood for the cause of 10 crore Muslim women in the country. Across the country the Centre has built four crore ‘pukka’ houses for the poor. Of the total houses built 3.5 crore houses were registered in the name of women and distributed.
Reddy urged women to extend their support and show their strength to bring back Modi to power for third time.
He expressed confidence that the party will get double-digit seats in the elections. He claimed that the BRS turned irrelevant in the prevailing political scenario. The State does not need BRS and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao anymore. Terming the DNA of BRS and Congress the same, Reddy recalled how the BRS and Congress were partners in power under former PM Manmohan Singh’s government and joined the Cabinet of YS Rajasekhara Reddy in United AP. ‘Becoming slaves under clutches of KCR’s family is not good for Telangana and people. People of Telangana will either gain or lose anything if BRS wins even a single seat in the elections, he added.
The Union minister urged women in big numbers to join and support the BJP and Modi government which is working for the country and providing a transparent, corruption-free democratic governance.
