Thu, Jul 24 01:40 AM
Even as the country is getting ready for the next general elections, parties in Uttarakhand have the panchayat polls to prepare for before that. The ruling BJP has taken a lead from the Congress in wooing the crucial women voters.
In an attempt to entice women, an 'Aabhar Rally' was held in the state capital on Wednesday to thank the B.C. Khanduri government and the party leadership for reserving 50 per cent seats for women in 'panchayats' and 33 per cent in the BJP organisational set-up. Senior party leaders, including former state unit chief Manohar Kant Dhyani and Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli, were present in full force to take part in the rally attended by thousands of women from Dehradun and neighbouring districts.
Khanduri, former Union minister Sushma Swaraj, who was present at the rally, and other leaders recalled the contributions made by women from the state during the agitation for Uttarakhand's creation and also mentioned the BJP's involvement during those years. Several initiatives taken by the state government during the past one-and-half years towards improving panchayats and empowering women representatives were also highlighted during the rally.
Apart from reserving 50 per cent seats for women, restructuring of panchayats, creation of 314 new panchayats, budget for construction of panchayat buildings and appointment of one panchayat development officer for every three panchayats are some such steps. The rally was also used to focus on the efforts undertaken towards women empowerment by the state government like scholarships of Rs 25,000 given to girl students from BPL families on clearing their 10+2 exams.
Gender budgeting, free LPG connections to women residing in remote hilly areas, setting up of fodder-banks in hill areas and Tilu Rautelli award to 12 women for exemplary contribution in various fields are other initiatives that were highlighted at the rally. Meanwhile, in an attempt to divert attention from the rally, Congress workers burnt effigy of the BJP at the party state office and blamed the party of playing with sentiments of women from the state by holding the rally when two senior BJP leaders are in jail for raping a Dalit girl.
If you are young, have a hectic social life where you drink and party, and have applied for a job, chances are you will lose out to someone who is a teetotaler.
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