STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The state government is contemplating to set up a Maternity and Child Health Centre along a hospital in every area of the state so that women in far flung places don’t have to travel miles for their treatment. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said this, while addressing a public meeting, after interacting with members of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) set up under UMEED programme under J&K Rural Livelihood Mission here on Wednesday.
“The government contemplates to set up a Maternity and Child Health Centre along a hospital in every area of the state so that women in far flung places don’t have to travel miles for their treatment,” the CM said, adding that, the government has launched a scooty scheme for girl students to encourage the meritorious ones and equip them with exclusive transportation.
The CM further said that an exclusive bus service for women was introduced to give the working women and students a secure atmosphere not only at workplace but on roads and in travel. The empowerment of women is imperative for the development of the society and the government has launched many schemes and programmes for welfare and development of women of the state, she informed.
The CM said that the state government has flagged women’s welfare as a priority area and efforts are being made to achieve the targets in this regard. Keeping this in view, the state government has launched Ladli Beti scheme to support and finance the expenses of girl child, she added.
She said the state government has also introduced Women Police Stations in many districts of the state for speedy disposal of cases of crime against women.
Mehbooba Mufti complimented the Self Help Group (SHG) members for writing their success stories and contributing positively to their families and the society. She said possibilities would be explored that these SHGs get the requisite market support and their products are sold across the country at good price.
In his address, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh termed Umeed scheme as a good beginning for the economic empowerment of rural women of the state. He hoped that the ambit of the scheme would be extended to more and more people.
Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq Khan, Minister of State for Rural Development, Sunil Sharma, MLA, Bishnah Kamal Arora, Secretary, Rural Development Department Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Director JKRLM Dr N Qasba and other officers were also present on the occasion.
