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Haryana declares 2006 as Girl Child Year

Special Correspondent

State Chief Minister Hooda announces a host of schemes on the eve of International Women's Day

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has decided to provide loans to 10,000 women every year through the State Women Development Corporation to enable them take up self-employment opportunities, the Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said on Tuesday in his message on the eve of International Women's Day.

He said that as women constituted half of society, their integral development was of utmost importance. Therefore, apart from declaring the year 2006 as the Girl Child Year, the State Government had also taken initiatives to enhance the socio-economic status of women. Complimenting the fairer sex on the occasion of International Women's Day, he reiterated the commitment of the Government to empower them to ensure their equal participation in the development of the State.

He said that it had also been decided to confer best mother award upon 2,367 women every year.

Expressing concern over the declining sex ratio of women, he said that his Government had launched an innovative scheme `Ladli' under which an incentive of Rs. 5,000 per year would be given for five years on the birth of a second daughter in a family. In case of a family having a daughter or only daughters, the parents would be entitled to get old age allowance of Rs. 300 per month after 55 years of age under the `Ladli Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojna'.

Also, a financial assistance of Rs. 15,000 is given under `Indira Gandhi Priyadarshni Vivah Shagun Yojana' on the wedding of girls living below the poverty line and belonging to Scheduled Castes.

Mr. Hooda further said that special attention was being paid towards the health of girls. It had been decided to conduct health check-up of all girls up to the age of 18 years and each of them would be given a health card to maintain record of their health. Also, the network of Kishori Shakti Yojana was being expanded from 85 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) projects to all ICDS projects in the State.

A separate university would be set up for women and 25 per cent seats in Industrial Training Institutes and technical institutes would be reserved for women.

All the 222 Government Girls Senior Secondary Schools would be connected with the EDUSAT (education through satellite) programme. Separate toilets for girls would also be provided at all government schools. The government had reserved 33 per cent seats for women in the recruitment of teachers. A special scheme had been introduced to give prizes to girls hailing from rural areas to encourage them to study.

A Janani Suvidha Yojana had been introduced and a network of well- equipped delivery huts was being created to provide hygienic conditions to conduct deliveries.

About 1,605 self help groups had been formed for empowerment of women and sports competitions had also been introduced at block level to encourage women in taking keen interest in games, he added.

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