Ensure women empowerment for developed nation : Nitish

Patna, Jun 7 (UNI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today stressed the need for empowerment of women to achieve the ''cherished goal'' of turning India into a developed nation.

Addressing a function, organised here to mark the signing of Memorandom of Understanding(MOU) between the Bihar government and Unit Trust of India for implementation of Kanya Suraksha Yojana(KSY), Mr Kumar said girls of more than 1.21 crore families living below the poverty line would get benefit from the scheme.

'' It is now evident that unless we take steps for women empowerment, the cherished goal of achieving a developed state can never be fulfilled, '' he added.

The Chief Minister said under the scheme, Rs 2000 would be deposited in the account of the girl child in BPL families at the time of her birth and it would accrue to Rs 18,000 once she attained the age of 18 years.

The amount would be of use to the girl during her marriage and for other expenses as well, he added.

Mr Kumar said Bihar was the first state to introduce 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayats and other local bodies. He said the 50 per cent reservation norms for women reservation were also being followed in appointment of school teachers.

Concerned at the declining male-female ratio, Mr Kumar said steps should be taken to ensure stringent punishment for those guilty of female foeticide.

He said the KSY scheme, launched by the Bihar government, would also help check the rising trends of female foeticide in the state.

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