Girls were once unsafe, moving ahead confidently now: Yogi | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Reiterating that ensuring respect for women is UP govt’s top priority, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that girls, who were once unsafe, are moving ahead confidently.While inaugurating the fifth phase of Mission Shakti in Lucknow on Saturday, the CM highlighted the sweeping changes in the state to make life secure and easy for women.“While girls were once unsafe, today they are confidently forging their own path. Respect for women is top priority for the govt. When the govt’s intentions are clear, schemes naturally find their way to right beneficiaries,” he said.The CM highlighted 20% reservation for women in police recruitment, implementation of various women-centric schemes like Kanya Sumangala Yojana, and general environment of security that the BJP govt is providing to allow women to move around freely, study, and work.He also launched Mission Shakti Centres in all 1,647 police stations across the state, released SOP manual for these centres, and a ‘Sashakt Nari, Samradh Pradesh’ folder.Recalling the journey of Mission Shakti campaign since it started in 2020, Yogi said that there were many questions about its scope, theme, and impact. The campaign focused on women’s safety, dignity, and self-reliance, and achieved remarkable results, he said.“An example of greater representation for women in the workforce was 20% mandatory recruitment of women in police recruitment. Since Independence, UP had only 10,000 women police personnel. Since 2017, this number has risen to over 44,000. In the recent recruitment of 60,200 police personnel, more than 12,000 women joined and are currently undergoing training,” Yogi said. He added that the recruitment of women was being encouraged across all departments.Elaborating on changes in school education, the CM said that 1.6 crore children were studying under the Basic Education Council. “Before 2017, 70-75% of girls attended school barefoot and in worn-out clothes. “Once a girl from Bundelkhand told me how shoes came for her brother, but not for her because she was a girl. This moved me and I ensured reforms that now ensure every child receives two sets of uniform, school bag, books, shoes, socks, and sweaters, benefits worth Rs 1,200 per child,” he said.The govt started Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, under which a financial package of Rs 25,000 is provided to a girl child from birth to graduation. More than 26 lakh girls have directly benefited from this scheme.Under Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh is provided for each girl’s marriage.
