Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced a Rs 2 lakh incentive for parents with a single girl child on Thursday (5 October) as part of the state government's ongoing efforts to combat the disturbing practice of female foeticide.
Previously, parents of a single girl child were eligible for a Rs 35,000 incentive. On the other hand, CM Sukhu has revealed that this amount will now be significantly increased to Rs 2 lakh, emphasising the government's commitment to promoting gender equality and protecting the welfare of female children, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, this announcement was made by the CM while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of a two-day capacity-building workshop focused on the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994. The Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation hosted this workshop in the state capital.
Sukhu also detailed the government's plan to award Rs 2 lakh to parents who practise family planning after the birth of a single girl child. Those who choose not to expand their families after having two daughters will also receive a Rs one lakh incentive, the report said.
This announcement was made by the Chief Minister while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of a two-day capacity-building workshop focused on the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act of 1994. The Directorate of Health Safety and Regulation hosted this workshop in the state capital, it said.
Sukhu also detailed the government's plan to award Rs 2 lakh to parents who practise family planning after the birth of a single girl child. Those who choose not to expand their families after having two daughters will also receive a Rs one lakh incentive.
Himachal Govt Launches 'Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana' For Vulnerable Groups:
Sukhu launched the "Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana" from the Ridge Shimla on Tuesday, with the goal of providing comprehensive support to orphans, specially-abled children, destitute women, and the elderly in the state. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister stated that he was always thinking about how to serve the most vulnerable members of society and those who truly needed to be cared for and looked after by the government.
"This is why, immediately after taking oath as chief minister, I went to the Balika Ashram in Tutikandi to learn about the well-being of the inmates and their problems," Sukhu was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the state government took a decision to adopt the orphans, the specially-abled children as the 'children of the state' and work for their upliftment and well being, giving them all parental care, besides taking care of the destitute women and elderly who have no one to look after," he stated.