PM Modi Felicitates 11 Lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’; What’s The Scheme About?

Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the cynosure of all eyes at the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ Sammelan at Maharashtra’s Jalgaon on Sunday.

Modi met ‘Lakhpati Didis’ of Maharashtra and interacted with many others from across the country during his visit to Jalgaon.

Modi distributed certificates and felicitated 11 lakh new ‘Lakhpati Didis’ who qualified after he took charge for his third term as Prime Minister of the BJP-led NDA government.

He released a revolving fund of Rs 2,500 crore, which will benefit around 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh self-help groups (SHG), and also disbursed bank loan worth Rs 5,000 crore for the benefit of 25.8 lakh members of 2.35 lakh SHGs.

Lakhpati Didi Scheme

It was during his Independence Day speech in 2023 that Modi announced the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, through which women in villages across India will be provided skill development training.

Under this scheme, women receive training in plumbing, LED bulb-making, etc.

One crore women have already been made ‘Lakhpati Didis,’ with the Central government’s current target being 3 crore.

Lauding women’s SHGs for their tremendous contributions, Modi said under the new policy for the agri-tech sector, women will be trained for operating and repairing drones as well.

‘Crime Against Women Unpardonable Sin’

Addressing thousands of women who turned up to see and hear Modi, the PM said crimes against women an “unpardonable sin”, and the guilty should not be spared.

“Along with increasing the strength of mothers, sisters and daughters, their safety is also the priority of the country. I have raised this issue repeatedly from the Red Fort. Today, be it any state of the country, I understand the pain and anger of my sisters and daughters,” Modi said.

“I will once again tell every political party of the country, every state government that crime against women is an unpardonable sin. Whoever is guilty, he should not be spared,” Modi spelt out.

“Those who help him in any form should not be spared. Be it a hospital, school, government or police system, at whatever level negligence occurs, everyone should be held accountable. The message should go very clearly from top to bottom… Governments will keep coming and going, but protecting life and protecting women’s dignity is a big responsibility of all of us, both as a society and as a government,” Modi added.

His comments come amid the nationwide protests against the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.