CM Sukhu emphasized the pivotal role of women in societal development and their remarkable achievements in diverse areas while addressing the ‘Nari Tu Narayani’ programme organized by the daily newspaper Himachal Dastak on Monday. He expressed his happiness that this event celebrated women’s outstanding accomplishments, marking a shift from times when women were confined largely to household roles and faced barriers to education and employment.
Highlighting the transformation in women’s social status, the Chief Minister praised their dedication, hard work, and determination that have enabled them to carve unique identities in every sphere of society. He outlined various government initiatives aimed at empowering women, such as the Mukya Mantri Vidhwa evam Ekal Nari Awaas Yojna, which provides a grant of Rs 3 lakh to economically weak widows and single women for housing construction, and the increase of the widow remarriage incentive from Rs 65,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
The Chief Minister also credited former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s efforts for securing 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions, ensuring their grassroots-level participation. He pointed out that the MLA from Lahaul-Spiti, the state’s largest district, is a woman, and major administrative positions there are also held by women, reflecting the government’s respect and support for women leaders.
In recognition of their achievements, the Chief Minister announced a grant of Rs 51,000 to each honoured woman and presented awards to the ‘Narayanis of Season-4’ for their commendable work. Additionally, the Engineering Icon of Himachal and the Civil Excellence Award-2025 were conferred upon engineers from various departments for outstanding contributions. The event also featured the release of the ‘Green Himachal’ souvenir by Himachal Dastak.
The ceremony was attended by Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani, MLAs Sudarshan Bablu and Anuradha Rana, Chief Minister’s Principal Advisors Naresh Chauhan and Gokul Butail, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, and senior officials of Himachal Dastak and the Information and Public Relations Department.
