BHUBANESWAR : Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back at Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his remarks on national parties on women empowerment by reeling out measures taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for women in the last six years.
Claiming that women empowerment is the cornerstone of Modi government’s policy, Pradhan said construction of toilets, supply of free cooking gas to poor households during Covid-19 pandemic, direct benefit transfer to Jan Dhan accounts, pension to widows and many more were possible due to the women-centric approach of the Prime Minister.
Pradhan’s reaction was to the Chief Minister’s remark that the national parties do only lip service when it comes to women empowerment with specific reference to their promise in poll manifesto for giving 33 per cent reservation in Parliament and Assemblies. The Prime Minister has respected the women and given them dignity by constructing over 77.14 lakh toilets in Odisha and supplying three LPG cylinders free of cost to 47 lakh beneficiaries during the pandemic.
Around 85.2 lakh women Jan Dhan account holders have so far received Rs 1,258.2 crore under different welfare schemes of the Centre while 20.27 lakh senior citizens, disabled persons and widows have got Central assistance of Rs 202.7 crore, he said.
Dharmendra: PM has done more for women
Asserting that the Centre has launched a slew of schemes in recent years to empower women on the path of self-reliance, the Union Minister said the Centre had released Rs 7.5 crore to empower tribal women with opportunities for skill development, employment, digital literacy, health and nutrition. The Centre has also provided Rs 151.71 crore to the State under ‘POSHAN Abhiyaan’ to improve nutritional status of children and women.
Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister over Nayagarh minor girl rape and murder case, Pradhan sought to know why the State government is silent on the large number of missing children. Demanding a CBI probe into the case, he asked the Chief Minister to explain what the State police was doing for over four months on the brutal murder of the girl.