Other parties make promises, only BJP fulfils them, says PM
Launching the Mahtari Vandana Yojana, a financial assistance scheme for eligible married women in Chhattisgarh, on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that kept its electoral promises.
“Mothers and sisters, before the elections, many parties make big promises. They promise the stars and the moon, but only a party with a clear intent like the BJP fulfils its promises...,” Mr. Modi said.
The Mahtari Vandan Yojana was a prepoll promise of the BJP in last year’s Assembly election campaign. Under the scheme, ₹1,000 per month is given to eligible married women in the State as monthly direct benefit transfer. So far, there have been 70 lakh beneficiaries, and ₹655 crore was transferred on Sunday, as the first instalment under the scheme.
Mr. Modi — who addressed the beneficiaries gathered at the Raipur launch event through videoconferencing – emphasised that a healthy family stems from the wellbeing of its women. “Our government is committed to ensuring the holistic wellbeing of every family, and this begins with the health and dignity of the women,” he said.
Speaking of some of the other initiatives taken by his government, Mr. Modi said that women were getting pucca houses and Ujjwala gas cylinders in their name.
He added that more than 10 crore women from selfhelp groups have benefitted during his tenure, while more than one crore women have become lakhpati didis. This refers to beneficiaries of a scheme which aims to train women’s selfhelp groups to earn a sustainable income of at least ₹1 lakh per annum by setting up microenterprises within their villages.