Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in Jalgaon, Maharashtra
Felicitates and gives certificates to 11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis
Release a revolving fund of Rs 2,500 crores and disburses bank loans worth Rs
5,000 crores
“Our government is fully committed to making the lives of mothers and sisters
easier”
“Traditions of Maharashtra are known not only in India but around the world”
“Entire India has been inspired by ‘Matrushakthi’ of Maharashtra”
“‘Matrushakthi’ of India has always contributed immensely in building the
future of the society and the nation”
“Fortunes of an entire family are transformed when one sister becomes Lakhpati
Didi”
“Our government is opening every sector for daughters which was once restricted
for them”
“Governments may change, but our biggest responsibility as a society and as a
government should be to protect the life and dignity of women”
“I assure you, the central government is with the state governments in every
way to stop atrocities against women. We cannot stop until this sinful
mentality has been eradicated from Indian society”
The Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi participated in Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in Jalgaon,
Maharashtra today. He handed out certificates and felicitated 11 lakh new
Lakhpati Didis who recently became Lakhpati during the third term of the
present government. The Prime Minister also interacted with Lakhpati Didis from
across the country. Shri Modi released a Revolving Fund of Rs 2,500 crore,
benefiting about 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHG). He also
disbursed bank loans of Rs 5,000 crore which will benefit 25.8 lakh members of
2.35 lakh SHGs. Since the inception of the Lakhpati Didi Yoajna, one crore
women have already been made Lakhpati Didis and the government has set a target
of three crore Lakhpati Didis.
The
Prime Minister began his address by expressing gratitude towards the huge crowd
of mothers and sisters who were present on the occasion. Before moving further,
the Prime Minister paid condolences to the victims of the bus accident tragedy
in Tanahun, Nepal where several people from Jalgaon lost their lives. He
informed that the authorities contacted their Nepalese counterparts as soon as
the mishap took place and Union Minister Rakshatai Khadse was sent to Nepal. He
said that the mortal remains of the deceased have been brought by special Air
Force aircraft and those injured are being looked after. He prayed for their
speedy recovery and assured all possible assistance from the Central and State
Governments.
Expressing
happiness over the attendance of a huge crowd of mothers and sisters at the
mega event of Lakhpati Didi Sammelan, Modi said, “Today, funds of more than Rs
6000 Crore were disbursed for lakhs of Women SHGs spanning across India”. He
added that this corpus of funds will bolster many women to transform into
‘Lakhpati Didis’. The PM also extended his best wishes.
Prime
Minister Modi underlined that the mothers and sisters of Maharashtra give a
glimpse of the glorious culture and traditions of the state. “Traditions of
Maharashtra are known not only in India but around the world”, the Prime Minister
remarked. He mentioned witnessing the culture of Maharashtra during his recent
visit to Poland and said that the people of Maharashtra are highly respected by
Polish citizens. He spoke about the Kolhapur Memorial that is dedicated to the
spirit of service and hospitality of the people of Kolhapur by the people of
Poland. Recalling the era of World War II when thousands of women and children
from Poland were given refuge by the royal family of Kolhapur by following the
traditions laid down by Shivaji Maharaj, the Prime Minister expressed pride
when such tales of valor were narrated to him during his visit to the nation.
He exhorted the citizens to follow a similar path and make continuous efforts
to raise the state’s name in the world.
Modi
remarked that the culture of Maharashtra is a creation of the brave and
courageous women of that land. He added that the entire India has been inspired
by ‘Matrushakthi’ of Maharashtra. The Prime Minister said, “Our Jalgaon is a
shrine of Varkari tradition. This is the land of the great saint Muktai.” He
added that her achievements and penance were an inspiration for today's
generation as well.
Modi
remarked that even till date, the poems of Bahinabai compel society to think
beyond stereotypes. “Be it any corner of Maharashtra, be it any period of
history, the contribution of Matrushakti has been unmatched”, the Prime
Minister added. Further elaborating on the Matrushakti of Maharashtra, Modi
said that while Mata Jijabai gave a direction to Chhatrapati Shivaji’s life,
another Marathi woman Savitribai Phule was the force behind the education of
daughters and their work, when it was not given importance in the society.
The
Prime Minister noted that women power of India has always contributed to
building the future of the society and the nation. “Today when India is
striving to become developed, our women power is once again coming forward,”
emphasised Modi. Lauding the women of Maharashtra for their efforts, Modi said
“I see the impression of Rajmata Jijabai and Savitribai Phule in all of you.”
Recalling
his visit to Maharashtra during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the Prime
Minister had expressed the desire to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, Modi
informed that 1 crore Lakhpati Didis were made during the last 10 years, while
11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis were created in the past two months alone. “1 lakh
Lakhpati Didis were made in Maharashtra also”, he said. The Prime Minister
lauded the efforts of the state government and underlined that the entire team
of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers have come together to empower
and strengthen the women in Maharashtra by initiating multiple new schemes and
programs.
Underlining
that the Lakhpati Didi campaign is not just a way to boost the income of
mothers and sisters but a mega campaign to strengthen the family and future
generations, the Prime Minister said that it is transforming the rural economy.
“Every woman present here knows that her social position in society is elevated
when she starts to make a living”, the Prime Minister exclaimed, noting that
the purchasing power of a family also goes up with an increase in income.
“Fortunes of an entire family are transformed when one sister becomes Lakhpati
Didi”, he added.
Noting
the contributions of women today in making India the third-largest economy in
the world, Prime Minister Modi pointed out the neglect towards the development
of women in the past. He mentioned that crores of women in the country did not
own any property which caused a major hindrance in availing bank loans to start
small businesses. “Therefore”, the Prime Minister said, “I pledged to reduce
the burden on women, and the Modi Government took decisions in the interest of
women one after the other.” Drawing parallels from the 10 years of the present
government with the seven decades of previous governments, the Prime Minister
remarked that the present government did more work in the interest of women
than any other previous governments of the past.
The Prime Minister underlined that his government had
decided to register the houses for the poor in the name of the woman of the
house. Modi emphasised that most of the 4 crore houses built so far have been
registered under the name of women. The Prime Minister assured that even in the
upcoming 3 crore houses being built, most of them will be registered in the
name of women.
Emphasising the reforms undertaken in the banking sector,
Shri Modi said that even in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, most bank
accounts were opened in the name of women. He emphasized that about 70 percent
of the beneficiaries of Pradhan Manti Mudra Yojana are mothers and sisters of
the nation.
Recalling how he was warned against giving loans to women
in the past, Modi said that he had complete trust in the Matrushakti and that
they would return the loans honestly without fail. Buoyed by the response of
women, he added that his government had increased the loan limit of PM Mudra
Yojana to Rs 20 lakh.
Speaking on the Swanidhi scheme launched for street
vendors, the Prime Minister underlined that even in Swanidhi, loans were being
given without guarantee, whose benefits had reached the women-folk. Modi added
that his government had extended benefits without guarantee to many women of
the Vishwakarma families, who are doing handicrafts.
The
Prime Minister remarked that the importance of Sakhi Mandalis and women's
self-help groups was not recognised earlier, while today they are on the path
to becoming a huge power in India’s economy. He highlighted that every village
and tribal region is witnessing positive changes brought by women's self-help
groups. He informed that ten crore women have joined the campaign in the last
ten years and they have been made a part of the banking system for easy facilitation
of low-interest loans. He informed that bank loans worth less than Rs 25,000
crore were sanctioned for self-help groups in 2014, while today that number has
risen to Rs 9 lakh crore in the last 10 years. He further added
that the direct assistance provided by the government has also been increased
by almost 30 times.
The
Prime Minister emphasized that the roles of mothers and sisters are being
elaborated today. He gave examples of more than 1.25 lakh bank sakhis providing
banking services in every village, women becoming drone pilots to assist in
modern farming with drones, and training 2 lakh pashu sakhis to help the
livestock farmers. The Prime Minister also mentioned initiating the Krishi
Sakhi program to give leadership to Narishakti for modern farming and natural
farming. He said that the government is going to create lakhs of such Krishi
Sakhis in every village of the country in the coming times. The Prime Minister
said that these campaigns will employ daughters while also boosting their confidence.
“A new thinking will be created in the society regarding the strength of
daughters”, Modi added.
Reflecting
on the Union Budget that was passed by the House last month, the Prime Minister
informed that Rs 3 lakh crore have been allocated for schemes related to women.
He mentioned the decisions taken to create specialised facilities for women
working in factories and offices such as working women hostels and creche
facilities for children. He underlined that the government is working towards
opening all sectors for women which were once restricted for them and gave
examples of women officers in all three-armed forces including fighter pilots,
admission into Sainik schools and academies and increasing number of women in
the police force and paramilitary force. The Prime Minister mentioned
that a large number of women are managing businesses ranging from the
agriculture and dairy sector in villages to the start-up revolution. He also
touched upon Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam to increase the participation of
daughters in politics.
The
Prime Minister noted that safety of the women is a top priority of the nation
along with their empowerment. Modi added, “I understand the pain and anger of
my sisters and daughters, irrespective of the states.” Taking a tough stand,
the Prime Minister reminded all the state governments and the political parties
of the country that atrocities against women are an unpardonable sin and the
guilty and his accomplice must not be spared.
The
Prime Minister remarked that public institutions, be it a hospital or a school
or an office or the police system, should be made accountable and any sort of
negligence on their part was unacceptable. Modi said, “Governments may change,
but our biggest responsibility as a society and as a government should be to protect
the life and dignity of women.”
The
Prime Minister underlined that the government is constantly making laws
stricter to give the harshest punishment to those who commit atrocities on
women. Pointing out that FIRs for complaints were not registered on time
earlier and cases became very time-consuming, the Prime Minister said that such
obstacles have been removed in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) where an entire
chapter has been made on atrocities against women and children. He informed
that victims can register e-FIR if they do not wish to go to the police station
and measures are in place to ensure swift action and no tampering with e-FIR at
the police station level. He said that it would help in speedy investigation
and strict punishment for the culprits. The Prime Minister further informed
that the new laws have provisions for death penalty and life imprisonment for
sexual crimes against minors. He also stated that BNS clearly defines false
promises of marriage and deception to act against cheating in the name of
marriage. “I assure you, the central government is with the state governments
in every way to stop atrocities against women. We cannot stop until this sinful
mentality has been eradicated from Indian society”, the Prime Minister
exclaimed.
The
Prime Minister underlined the role of Maharashtra in India’s ascendancy towards
the path of development and said that Maharashtra is a shining star of Viksit
Bharat. He highlighted that Maharashtra is becoming a centre of attraction for
investors from all over the world and the state’s future lies in more and more
investments and new job opportunities. The Prime Minister also called upon the
need for a stable government in the state that can encourage industries and
emphasise education, skills and employment of youth. Concluding the address,
the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the mothers and daughters of the
state will come together for a stable and prosperous Maharashtra.
Governor of Maharashtra, CP Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister
of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Devendra
Fadnvis and Ajit Pawar, and Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chauhan were present on the occasion among others.