Will make 1 crore 'beloved sisters' Lakhpati Didi in Maharashtra: CM Fadnavis

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 17 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that the government will provide financial support to beloved sisters (beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin Yojana) in every village by providing them with an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh through the district central cooperative banks

He added that with this initiative, they will be self-reliant through business.

The CM announced the state government’s resolve to make 1 crore beloved sisters Lakhpati Didi in the state.

He was speaking at the launch of ‘Mukhyamantri Samruddhi Panchayat Raj Abhiyan’, which will be implemented in all the Gram Panchayats of the state from September 17 to December 31.

CM Fadnavis said that the Mukhyamantri Samrudd Panchayat Raj Abhiyan is not only a campaign to provide benefits by implementing schemes, but it is also a campaign to teach every villager to live with self-respect. The implementation of Mukhyamantri Samruddhi Panchayat Raj Abhiyan coincided with the launch of ‘Seva Pandharavada (fortnight for providing services) on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Wednesday (September 17).

“The beloved sisters should not have to depend on just Rs 1,500 (the monthly assistance given to eligible beneficiaries under Ladki Bahin Yojana), but they will be empowered by providing financial assistance for their business through women's self-help groups. The government will stand by them by starting a credit society for beloved sisters in every village and providing them with an interest-free loan of Rs 1 lakh through the district bank. In this way, the government is determined to make 1 crore beloved sisters ‘Lakhpati didi’ in the state,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the government has launched many schemes and campaigns for rural development, but only a few villages have progressed. “Now, through Mukhyamantri Samrudd Panchayat Raj Abhiyan, a prosperous Maharashtra will be created in every village. This campaign has been started so that no village is left behind in such competitions. In this campaign, all the schemes of the Central and State Governments will be implemented in the villages. Through this, 28,000 Gram Panchayats and 40,000 villages in the state will be developed as models,” he added.

He announced that the Gram Panchayats that succeed in this campaign will be given prizes worth Rs 250 crore. This is the first scheme in the country to offer such prizes.

“This campaign will bring about a change in the lives of the underprivileged. For this, public participation is important. We will bring prosperity by staying united in the village. In many villages of the state, people are making different efforts and bringing about change. AI is being used in agriculture. Each of us has the latent power to bring about this change. This campaign is to remind us of that latent power. Every villager should consider this campaign as their own and participate and build a capable Maharashtra,” he noted.

--IANS

sj/uk