Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said women’s safety, dignity and economic empowerment were essential to building a prosperous state, highlighting government initiatives aimed at improving their livelihoods, nutrition and social security.
On the occasion of Ashtami of Sharadiya Navratri, the chief minister offered prayers to Maa Mahagauri and said her worship symbolised peace, purity and compassion. In a post on X, he said true social progress was possible only when women were healthy, safe, well-nourished and able to lead dignified, self-reliant lives.
Adityanath said the state government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had expanded opportunities for women in education, nutrition, financial inclusion and income generation, making them active participants in Uttar Pradesh’s development.
Highlighting the changes in the nutrition system, the chief minister said that before 2017, the distribution of supplementary nutrition for children was affected by the influence of criminal elements. The government subsequently entrusted the production and distribution of take-home rations to women associated with self-help groups, aiming to improve transparency while creating livelihood opportunities for them.
He said the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi workers had been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000. Health insurance benefits were also being provided to strengthen their social security.
The chief minister said more than four lakh women across 31 districts were associated with dairy producer companies, including Balinee, Samarthya, Kashi, Baba Gorakhnath and Srijani. These initiatives, he said, had helped women turn dairy farming into a source of regular income and entrepreneurship, while strengthening the rural economy.
He also highlighted the role of BC Sakhis in expanding financial inclusion in rural areas, with women providing banking services at the gram panchayat level.
More than 1.20 crore women in Uttar Pradesh were associated with self-help groups, Adityanath said. Through these groups and initiatives such as Lakhpati Didi, women were using their skills and collective efforts to generate income, improve their families’ financial well-being and move towards economic independence.
The chief minister said the government’s focus on women’s safety, dignity and empowerment was contributing to the state’s development, reiterating the vision of “Sashakt Nari, Samridh Uttar Pradesh” (Empowered women, prosperous Uttar Pradesh).
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