Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government is enforcing stricter rules that will result in harsh penalties for crimes against women. Speaking at a Lakhpati Didi rally in Jalgaon, north Maharashtra on Sunday, PM Modi added that more has been done women in the last ten years than what was accomplished since independence.
PM Modi also informed that loans totalling Rs 9 lakh crore have been provided to women's self-help groups (SHGs) in the last ten years, compared to fewer than Rs 25,000 crore till a decade ago. After meeting Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, PM Modi announced the allocation of a Rs 2,500 crore revolving fund that is going to assist 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh SHGs.
PM Modi said that the Lakhpati Didi scheme not only boosts the income of women, but also empowers future generations. “You must have heard that India is going to become the third-largest economy in the world. Women play a huge role in it. However, it wasn't the case a couple of years ago, Modi said. Women guarantee the prosperity of every home and every family. However, there was no one to guarantee help for the women, he said. Women didn't have property in their name, and if they had to take a loan from a bank, they could not avail it, he said. In such a situation, they were not able to build their own small business, he added.
Therefore, I, your son and brother, resolved to ease your lives. We took decisions in the interest of women year after year, Modi said. When I visited you during the Lok Sabha elections, I promised we would make 3 crore sisters Lakhpati Didi. This means women who work in Self Help Groups, and their annual income is more than one lakh rupees, he further said.
One crore Lakhpati Didis were created in the previous ten years, and in only two months, an additional 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis were added to the original one crore, said PM Modi. In order to maintain stability and development in the state, Maharashtra must have the Mahayuti administration, led by the BJP, for an extended period of time. India's brightest light when it comes to development is Maharashtra, said PM Modi. He stated that more investment and job creation are essential to the state's future.
