Rs 1,500 assistance given to 28,249 women: Himachal minister Dhani Ram Shandil
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil today said that 28,249 women in the state had been provided Rs 1,500 as financial assistance while 2,384 applications of ineligible candidates were rejected.
Shandil was replying to a question asked by Rakesh Jamwal, Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Randhir Sharma, Pawan Kajal and Vinod Kumar during the Question Hour in the Vidhan Sabha. “During 2023-24, 1,006 women in Lahaul Spiti were provided Rs 1,500 per month and a total of Rs 1.20 crore was disbursed,” said Shandil. He added that due to the model code of conduct for the elections, the verification of the applications was delayed.
He said that some other states had also emulated the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samaan Yojana as it was aimed at the economic empowerment of women. “Till July 31, a total of 7,88,784 applications were received and a budgetary allocation of Rs 22.85 crore was made for providing financial assistance to women,” said Shandil. “Only one woman per family will be given this assistance,” he added.
Sundernagar MLA Rakesh Jamwal said that the Congress had come to power on the basis of false promise of providing Rs 1,500 per month to all women between 18 years and 60 years of age. “Now, you have imposed conditions to deprive many women of the benefit,” he alleged.
Replying to a question asked by Lahaul Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the government was proposing to develop an alternative strategic route (Bhavnagar-Pin Valley-Kaza). This will reduce distance by 100 km and provide connectivity to areas close to the China border.
Rana raised the issue of the long-pending demand of people for the construction of the Leo bypass or have it transferred to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
The PWD Minister said that Rs 10 crore had been approved for this 11.5 km link road, for which Rs 16 crore would be required. “The construction of a 75-mt steel bridge over the Spiti river is underway but Rs 15 crore more is required for its completion,” he added.
