Jaipur, Jan 16 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Friday said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is witnessing a new era of women's empowerment.

In Rajasthan, women associated with Rajeevika are playing a decisive role in the state's development journey by becoming economically self-reliant and strengthening their families.

Addressing a pre-budget dialogue with women of Rajeevika self-help groups at Birla Auditorium, the Chief Minister said that every Rajeevika sister is contributing to increased household income and social empowerment.

He noted that Indian culture reveres Goddess Lakshmi (prosperity), Goddess Saraswati (knowledge) and Goddess Durga (strength) -- all of which are embodied in women.

He added that the double-engine government is ensuring women-centric benefits through schemes ranging from housing to LPG subsidies. CM Sharma said that the participation of women -- nearly half the population -- is crucial for building a developed Rajasthan.

Around 13 lakh Rajeevika women have become â??Lakhpati Didisâ??.

He said self-help groups have proved that women are efficient managers and successful entrepreneurs, while also freeing families from the burden of high-interest loans.

The Chief Minister highlighted that 51 lakh rural families in the state are connected to over 4 lakh self-help groups.

A robust Rajeevika network has been created through 32,000 village organisations and over 1,000 cluster-level federations. Under livelihood promotion programmes, nearly 36 lakh families are engaged in agriculture- and animal husbandry-based activities.

Sharma said that more than Rs 2,000 crore has been extended to self-help group women for livelihood promotion through Rajeevika. Over 3,500 producer groups have been formed to strengthen agriculture, animal husbandry and non-farm activities, benefiting nearly 3 lakh families. Acknowledging the role of women in dairy farming, he said the state government is providing a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre of milk to dairy farmers.

The Chief Minister said the assistance under the Lado Protsahan Yojana has been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, while the benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has been enhanced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,500. Under the scheme, around Rs 531 crore has been disbursed to nearly 10 lakh pregnant women.

Through the Maa Voucher Scheme, 2.26 lakh women have benefited from free sonography services. Additionally, under Shiksha Setu Yojana, more than 90,000 women and girls have received employment-oriented training.

For womenâ??s safety, 500 Kalika patrolling units are actively functioning across the state. CM Sharma said the government has so far provided appointments to over 1 lakh posts, while recruitment for 1.44 lakh posts is currently underway. On Youth Day (January 12), a recruitment examination calendar for 1 lakh posts was released for the year, offering significant employment opportunities for women as well.

He added that the stateâ??s newly launched Youth Policy will further support women in self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Emphasising participatory governance, the Chief Minister said Rajeevika women have achieved financial independence by connecting with banks, markets and government schemes, and are now selling products through online platforms.

He urged them to share valuable suggestions for the Rajasthan Budget, particularly on strengthening self-help groups, expanding livelihood opportunities, boosting product marketing, and enhancing training and skill development.

Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, Rural Development Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, Minister of State for Rural Development Ota Ram Dewasi, Additional Chief Secretary Rural Development Shreya Guha, Principal Secretary Finance Vaibhav Galaria, State Mission Director (Self-Help Groups) Neha Giri, senior officials and a large number of Rajeevika women were present on the occasion.

/IANS