PM’s speech at launch of women-centric initiatives in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 21 Dec, 2021

Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Present in the program the energetic and karmayogi Chief Minister of UP Shri Yogi Adityanath ji, the popular leader of Prayagraj and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti ji and Smt. Anupriya Patel ji, Ministers in the Government of Uttar Pradesh Dr. Mahendra Singh ji , Rajendra Pratap Singh Moti ji, Shri Siddharthnath Singh ji, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi ji, Smt Swati Singh ji, Smt Gulabo Devi ji and Smt Neelima Katiyar ji, my colleagues in Parliament Rita Bahuguna ji, Smt Hema Malini ji, Smt Keshari Devi Patel ji, Dr. Sanghamitra Maurya ji, Smt. Geeta Shakya ji, Smt. Kanta Kardam ji, Smt. Seema Dwivedi ji and Dr. Ramesh Chand Bind ji, Prayagraj Mayor Smt. Abhilasha Gupta ji, District Panchayat President Dr. V.K. Singh ji, all MLAs and other public representatives, and the symbol of the power of UP my mothers and sisters! My greetings to all of you! I bow my head to the land of Prayagraj, situated on the holy banks of Mother Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. This is the land, where the ‘Triveni’ of dharma, knowledge and justice flows. The visit to Prayagraj, the shrine of shrines, always exudes an unparalleled purity and energy. I came to this holy land during Kumbh in February last year and took a dip in the confluence and experienced supernatural bliss. I bow with folded hands to such a holy land of Teerthraj Prayag. Today is also the death anniversary of Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi ji, the noted writer of Hindi literature. I pay my tribute to Dwivedi ji, who was editor of ‘Saraswati’ for a very long time. Mothers and sisters, Prayagraj has been the land of the confluence of Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati, the symbol of our mother power for thousands of years. Today this pilgrimage city has also become a witness to such a wonderful confluence of women and power. It is our good fortune that all of you have come to give us your love and blessings. Mothers and sisters, I interacted with ‘Banking Sakhis’, sisters associated with self-help groups and beneficiaries of the Kanya Sumangala Yojana before coming here. Such sentiments and confident words! Mothers and sisters, we have a saying here – “प्रत्यक्षे किम् प्रमाणम्” That is, no proof is needed for what is apparent. The entire country is watching the efforts made for the development of UP, for the empowerment of women. Just now, I got the privilege of transferring crores of rupees to the accounts of more than one lakh beneficiary daughters of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana. This scheme is becoming a great medium of support for the poor and daughters in villages. The ‘Bank Sakhi’ campaign launched by UP is also bringing major changes in their lives along with employment opportunities for women. They no longer have to go to the bank to withdraw the money that goes into their account from different government schemes through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). They get the money at their homes in villages with the help of ‘Bank Sakhi’. That is, ‘Bank Sakhi’ has brought the bank to the villages. Those who might be thinking that this is a small work I also want to tell them how important is the role of ‘Bank Sakhis’. The UP government has entrusted the responsibility of transactions of about 75,000 crores on these ‘Bank Sakhis’. My sisters and daughters living in the villages are doing business worth Rs 75,000 crores. More the transactions, more the income! Most of these ‘Bank Sakhis’ are sisters who, till a few years ago, did not even have their own bank accounts. But today the power of digital banking is in the hands of these women. Therefore, the country is watching how work is being done in UP. And that’s why I say: “प्रत्यक्षे किम् प्रमाणम्” Mothers and sisters, UP has also entrusted the responsibility of Take Home Ration on women for the children and pregnant and lactating women. This nutritious diet will now be made by women of Self-Help Groups. This is also a huge task involving thousands of crores rupees annually. Women of Self-Help Groups will also make income and the farmers of the villages will also get huge benefit from the 202 Supplementary Nutrition Manufacturing Units whose foundation stone has been laid today. The women will buy crops and grains from the villages itself to make nutritious food in their factories. It is these empowerment efforts that have started changing the lives of the women in UP. Today I have got the privilege of transferring 1,000 crore rupees as an installment that the government gives to Self-Help Groups as assistance in different sectors. Now the stream of development of UP is not going to be stopped by anyone. The women of Uttar Pradesh, mothers, sisters and daughters, have decided not to let the return of the era of earlier governments. The unprecedented security and respect given to the women of UP by the double engine government has enhanced their dignity. Brothers and sisters, The life of mothers, sisters and daughters influences generations and also creates generations. The potential of a daughter, her education and her skills determines the direction of the society and the nation and not only of the family. Therefore, when we took the initiative to realize the massive dreams and aspirations of Maa Bharati in 2014, we began by giving new energy to the belief of the daughters of the country. Therefore, we made plans and campaigns to empower women at every stage in the cycle of life from the birth of a daughter. Friends, We tried to awaken the consciousness of the society through the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign so that daughters are not killed in the womb and they are born. Today the result is that the number of daughters has increased a lot in many states of the country. Maternity leave has been extended to six months so that the mothers can continue their work without worrying about the initial care of their child after delivery. Friends, Maternal health during pregnancy has been a major cause of concern in poor families. That’s why we paid special attention to immunization of pregnant women, delivery in hospitals and nutrition during pregnancy. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Rs 5,000 is deposited in the bank account of women during pregnancy, so that they can take care of proper diet. So far, about Rs 10,000 crores have been given to more than two crore sisters. Friends, We have endeavored constantly so that daughters can study properly and they do not have to leave school in the middle. Our government has not lagged behind in any effort whether it is building separate toilets for girls in schools or making sanitary pads accessible to the poorest of the poor. Accounts of about 2.5 crore girls have been opened under the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana. The interest rate has also been kept high on this money to fulfill their dreams when they grow up. Utmost care is being taken for the convenience and health of women at every step from school and college to their career and till their household. The lives of the sisters have become privileged and their dignity enhanced with the construction of crores of toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the gas connection facilities to the poorest of the poor sisters under the Ujjwala scheme and ensuring tap water at home. Friends, It is our sisters who have benefited the most from the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Whether it was delivery in hospitals or other treatment, the lives of the sisters were at risk due to lack of money. With the free treatment facility up to Rs 5 lakh, their worries have also been taken care of. Mothers and sisters have always been given paramount status in Indian society. But today I want to draw the attention of the entire country towards one fact as well. For decades and centuries, such a system was prevalent that only men had the rightful claims to every house and property. Whether it is house, farm, job or shop, only men were the rightful claimants. Today our government’s schemes are removing this inequality. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is the biggest example of this. The houses which are being handed over under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana are in the name of women on priority basis. If I talk about UP only, more than 30 lakh houses have been built under the PM Awas Yojana. Out of these, about 25 lakh houses have been registered in the name of women. You can imagine that 25 lakh women have got their homes in UP for the first time. The households which had no property in the name of any woman for generations have for the first time house in the name of a woman. This is what true women empowerment and development is. Mothers and sisters, Today I want to inform you about another scheme. This is the Swamitva Yojana of the Central Government. Under the Swamitva scheme, houses and land in villages across the country are being mapped through drones and ‘Gharauni’ or property papers are being given to the owners. Priority is being given to women while handing over ‘Gharauni’. In the next few years, Yogi ji’s government will complete the mapping of every house in the villages of Uttar Pradesh and hand over ‘Gharauni’. Then the papers of the houses will be in the name of women, in the name of mothers. Friends, Women are being made equal partners in the schemes for employment and increasing the income of the family. The Mudra Yojana is encouraging new women entrepreneurs from poor families in the villages. About 70 percent of the total loans sanctioned under this scheme have been given to women. Women are also being linked with Self-Help Groups and rural organizations across the country through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana. I consider the sisters of women’s Self-Help Groups to be the champions of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign. These Self-Help Groups are actually national help groups. Therefore, the assistance given under the National Livelihood Mission has increased by almost 13 times in the last seven years in contrast to five years before 2014. Where earlier every Self-Help Group used to get loans up to Rs 10 lakh without guarantee, now this limit has also been doubled to Rs. 20 lakh. Mothers and sisters, Whether it is cities or villages, our government is taking decisions keeping in mind every small and big problem of women. Our government ensured free ration so that the stove of your house kept burning during the period of Corona. Our government eased the rules to enable women to work in night shifts as well. Our government removed whatever restriction was there for women working in mines. Our government has opened the doors of Sainik Schools across the country for girls. Our government has established about 700 fast track courts across the country for speedy trial of heinous crimes like rape. It was our government which made a law against Triple Talaq to save Muslim sisters from atrocities. Friends, The double engine government is working relentlessly to empower the future of daughters without any discrimination. Just a few days back, the central government has taken another decision. Earlier, the legal age of marriage for sons was 21 years, but for daughters it was only 18 years. The daughters also wanted that they should get time to pursue their studies and get equal opportunities. Therefore, efforts are being made to bring the age of marriage to 21 years for daughters. The country is taking this decision for the sake of daughters, but everybody is watching who is taking offence to this. Brothers and sisters, There was a mafia raj on the streets of UP five years ago! Goons used to have sway in the government of UP! Who used to suffer the most? My sisters and daughters from UP! It used to be difficult for them to walk on streets. It was difficult for them to go to schools and colleges. You couldn’t say anything, because if you approached the police station then someone would call in support of the criminal or the rapist. Yogi ji has put these goons to their rightful place. Today there is security as well as rights in UP. Today there are possibilities as well as business in UP. I have full faith that as long as we have the blessings of our mothers and sisters, no one can push this new UP back into the darkness. Brothers and sisters, let’s take this pledge from the holy land of Prayagraj that our UP will move ahead and will touch new heights. I once again respectfully bow and thank all the mothers and sisters very much from my heart for your blessings and support and for your participation in the progress of UP. Speak with me Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Thank you very much!