Modi to provide employment opportunities to 15 lakh women

Rajkot, Apr 13 (UNI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today expressed his resolve to set up more than one lakh women committees across the state, providing employment opportunities to 15 lakh women.

''Through these committees, women will strive to provide water and gas connections to every household in the state,'' Mr Modi said to a large gathering of women at the ninth women general convention in Jasnad, about 60 km from here.

''The education level of women in Gujarat has always been low in the country. Only 42 per cent of women are educated which is a very lamentable fact,'' he said adding that the state government had granted 'Vidhyalakshmi Bond' to six lakh girls and spent Rs 60 crore for the girl child's education.

Mr Modi said in order to ensure safety of pregnant mothers living below the poverty line in the state, the government would bear their total expenditure of healthcare facilities.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also declared 'Mata Yashoda' prizes worth Rs 51,000 and Rs 21,000 for the best Anganwadi worker in the state.

UNI