Himachal govt hikes monetary award for Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar to Rs 1 lakh

Days ahead of International Womens Day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced a nearly five-fold increase in the monetary award under the Himachal Pradesh Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar.

Presiding over a state-level event for International Womens Day, Sukhu said the monetary award for the Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar has been hiked to Rs 1 lakh from the current Rs 21,000.

The allowance for district-level awards has been raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, he said.

The Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar is awarded to women who excel in various fields. On Monday, Sukhu honoured freelance journalist Dev Kanya Thakur, social worker Sangeeta Khurana and Dr Anvesha Negi.

Sukhu said women are the pillars of society and added that the whole world is empowered when women are empowered.

The Social Justice and Empowerment department is running a series of awareness programmes across the state from March 1-8 to apprise women on sensitive issues such as domestic violence, drug abuse and persecution at the workplace.

While extending greetings for Womens Day, which takes place on March 8, Sukhu said women today are contributing equally in the states progress alongside their male counterparts and they need to be supported.

“Women have made a remarkable contribution in giving direction to the society and civilisations can only progress when women are equally equated with men and given due respect,” he said. Congress-led governments have always been considerate towards “women power”, he added. Rajiv Gandhi, during his tenure as prime minister, paved the way for 33 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, the chief minister said.

Although opposed by many, Gandhi was determined to strengthen women and increase their participation in nation building.

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