Assam successfully combating child marriage, other states following our model: CM Sarma
Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday asserted that Assam has been successfully combating the menace of child marriage, and the state's model was being followed by others.
Earlier, CM Sarma claimed the state government's ambitious scheme, Nijut Moina, to support young girls by providing cash benefits, has proven to be beneficial for eradicating child marriage from society.
He said, "The #NijutMoina Achoni is helping girls across Assam to realise their aspirations by saving them from the curse of child marriage and allowing them to pursue their education. Let's hear from our little Bhagins on how this scheme has touched their lives."
The CM argued that along with strict enforcement, beneficiary schemes like the Nijut Moina initiative have been uplifting the girl children towards a better future. The Nijut Moina initiative of the state government aims to cover 10 lakh girl students with an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore, and in the first year, over 1.6 lakh girls will get Rs 240 crore.
He said, "Assam has started a big initiative by launching Nijut Moina. Under this scheme, the girl students who study at the graduation level are receiving a monthly scholarship of more than Rs 1,000, and those who pursue post-graduation are getting Rs 2,500 per month to bear the education expenditure. In this way, we want girls not to depend on their parents to continue higher education."
"We are anticipating that Nijut Moina will be able to eradicate the evil of child marriage from the state in the next few years," he said.
CM Sarma further said that one of the primary conditions to avail this scheme is that the girl students will remain unmarried till they reach the post-graduation level.
"As the aim of this initiative is to eradicate child marriage, the girl students studying at the graduation level must remain unmarried till they finish their undergraduate curriculum. Once they reach the post-graduation level, there is no bar to remaining unmarried to avail the Nijut Moina scheme. At that point, they will reach their minimum age of marriage, and we also desire that the girls get married in a specific period and lead a happy life," he said.
The Chief Minister also laid down another condition that no daughter of MP, MLA or minister can get the benefits of this financial support initiative.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Modi govt has given Maha 10 times more than UPA: CM
Mumbai: Maharashtra benefited greatly in the 10 years of the Modi-led NDA govt than under the 10 years of UPA, CM Devendra Fadnavis said. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in the city as the Modi govt completed one year of its third term in office, Fadnavis said Maharashtra received Rs 1.23 lakh crore from the UPA govt in 10 years, while the Modi govt gave Rs 10.5 lakh crore, which was ten times over. "With the cooperation of the Modi govt, infrastructure projects worth Rs 6 lakh crore are ongoing in the state. Railway projects worth Rs 1.75 lakh crore are underway in the state. The Modi govt provided more funds for railways in one year than the UPA did in 10 years," he said, adding 30 lakh new houses have been approved for rural Maharashtra under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin). "The first list of 20 lakh homes will be completed this year, and the Centre has suggested we prepare a new list of beneficiaries. This work will begin soon," he said. Listing out schemes implemented in the last decade, Fadnavis said direct benefits worth Rs 42 lakh crore have been provided so far, which include 81 crore people receiving free food since the pandemic, construction of 12 crore toilets, loans worth Rs 14,700 crore disbursed under the Mudra Yojana and Standup India and 55 crore new Jan Dhan accounts that were opened. He said 51 crore people benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and 77 crore accounts were registered under Ayushman Bharat. Pointing to the inclusive face of the Modi govt, Fadnavis said 60% ministers belong to Scheduled Castes and Tribes. He stated 45% beneficiaries in the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 58% of various scholarships, and 51% in the Mudra Yojana are SC and ST. "Direct benefits to the underprivileged have lifted 25 crore people above the poverty line," he said. Comparing benefits obtained under UPA and NDA govts, Fadnavis said that in 10 years, the agricultural sector has grown fivefold. "Under the PM Kisan Yojana, Rs 3.7 lakh crore have been transferred to accounts of 11 crore farmers. The UPA govt announced a loan waiver of Rs 80,000 crore, the Modi govt provided Rs 3.7 lakh crore," he said. Women too have greatly benefitted with 3 crore 'lakhpati didis' across the country, 90 lakh self-help groups engaging 10 crore women, and paid maternity leave up from 12 weeks to 26 weeks, he said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Achieved more in 24 min than what was done in 24 yrs: CM
1 2 Bhubaneswar: BJP govt has accomplished more in 24 minutes than what was done in 24 years, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Tuesday, highlighting the administration's achievements in its first year in power in Odisha. Taking an indirect dig at 24 years of uninterrupted rule by the Naveen Patnaik govt, Majhi said at a press conference ahead of his govt's first anniversary on Thursday, "We have proven in the first cabinet that 24 years of governance is not necessary for public service; much can be done in 24 minutes. The willpower is essential." He cited his govt's first cabinet meeting on June 12, 2024 in which four significant decisions were taken — implementing the Subhadra cash incentive scheme for women, increasing paddy procurement payment by Rs 800 per quintal, opening the four gates of Jagannath Temple in Puri, and establishing a Rs 500 crore corpus fund for the 12th-century shrine. Majhi said because of his govt's pro-people approach, it has earned the name of a people's govt, and he was lucky to be called a "people's CM." He also highlighted the creation of 17 lakh lakhpati didis, making Odisha the first such state in India, a record allocation of Rs 37,838 crore for the agriculture sector, implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana , and infrastructure development worth Rs 65,102 crore, among others. Emphasising his govt's stand against corruption, Majhi asserted that "every corrupt officer, whether a peon or an IAS officer, will land in jail". He also highlighted the administration's commitment to providing 40,000 govt jobs this year, following the 28,000 positions filled in the previous year. Looking ahead, he projected Odisha would become a $500 billion economy and rank among India's top five states by 2036, contributing significantly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047. The govt aims to provide piped drinking water to 90% of the state's population by 2026 and Antyodaya homes to 5 lakh people, Majhi added. He also highlighted the achievements of the Modi govt in the last 11 years. While Majhi highlighted the BJP govt's successes, Naveen launched an attack on the BJP-led govt. "Long speeches and big advertisements do not bring development," Naveen said, while highlighting the administration's alleged failures in its first year. Addressing BJD workers at the party office, the former CM criticised the govt's handling of healthcare, pointing out that 19 out of 30 districts have vacant chief district medical and public health officer (CDMPHO) positions. "The health system has completely collapsed. People are not getting medicines, and free treatment in hospitals has become a challenge under Ayushman Bharat," the opposition leader said. The BJD leader particularly emphasised the deterioration of Mission Shakti programme, which had previously empowered seven million women. "Those who travelled to Dubai and Singapore are now sitting at home, disheartened. Their self-confidence has been shattered," he stated. Naveen also highlighted the plight of farmers, claiming the govt failed to fulfil its election promise of eliminating middlemen and ensuring MSP for all farmers. "Farmers are now at the mercy of millers, with no fear of the govt," he added. Comparing financial management, the opposition leader also noted that while his govt left a surplus of Rs 45,000 crore in 2024, the current administration "is running on record loans".
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Dip in infiltration from B'desh in last six months: Saha
1 2 3 Agartala: Tripura chief minister Manik Saha on Tuesday claimed there is a slight decrease in illegal immigration from Bangladesh during the past six months due to enhanced border monitoring and targeted operations in vulnerable areas previously used by illegal Bangladeshi nationals as transit points to other Indian states. During a media briefing celebrating the 11th year of Narendra Modi's govt, he dismissed claims of increased infiltration from Bangladesh, crediting the improved situation to effective security measures. Saha highlighted concerns about certain sections of the India-Bangladesh border where fencing infrastructure is inadequate or non-existent. He confirmed that these issues have been brought to the attention of the Union home ministry and security agencies. The chief minister acknowledged increased arrests of illegal immigrants during recent operations. This statement gains importance considering BJP's alliance partner TIPRA Motha's call for comprehensive action to identify and remove undocumented Bangladeshi nationals from Tripura. TIPRA Motha has initiated grassroots efforts in rural areas, directing supporters to document illegal Bangladeshi residents who obtained fraudulent Indian papers through local authorities. The party advocates for establishing detention facilities for illegal immigrants, similar to those in Assam. Discussing Modi govt's achievements, Saha said Tripura received substantial central funding during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He emphasised how the PM's initiatives and direct benefit transfer system enhanced governance transparency by eliminating intermediaries. He reported that Tripura farmers received Rs 843 crore through PM-KISAN, Rs 10 crore via PM Fasal Bima Yojana, and Rs 2,272 crore in low-interest loans through Kisan Credit Card scheme. Under Har Ghar Jal Yojana, household tap water access increased from 3% to 86%. Regarding healthcare and welfare, Ayushman Bharat settled claims worth Rs 239 crore, leading Tripura to develop its own health programme. Additionally, 8,200 small businesses received unsecured loans, while 1.46 lakh new mothers received Rs 62 crore through PM Matru Vandana Yojana. The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana facilitated rooftop solar panel installation in 368 households.
