Stalin's Speech @ Coimbatore
Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin (fourth right) hands over revolving fund to a member of a women self-help group at the International Women’s Day celebrations in the city on Saturday.Reiterating the need for ensuring reservation for women in the Legislative Assemblies and Parliament, Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration, M.K. Stalin on Saturday pointed out that women have surpassed the reservation levels in the local bodies.Tamil Nadu was the first State to implement Panchayat Raj legislation
He was speaking at the International Women’s Day function organised at VOC Park where he distributed revolving fund of Rs. 10,000 each to 1,000 women Self-Help Group (SHG) members totalling to Rs. 1 crore.Mr.Stalin also inaugurated various development works worth over Rs. 22 crore, laid the foundation stone for development works worth over Rs. 2.38 crore and also distributed financial assistance to 4,119 women under various Government schemes worth over Rs. 4.64 crore.
Mr.Stalin said that Tamil Nadu was the first State to implement Panchayat Raj legislation and today in local bodies women occupy positions ranging from 38 per cent to 50 per cent in village panchayats, panchayat unions, district panchayats, town panchayats, municipalities and corporations.In a lighter vein, Mr.Stalin pointed out that a stage would come when women would outshine men and reach positions in politics and power forcing men to seek reservation.
He claimed that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Government was the first to introduce women’s emancipation measures in 1989. He added that as promised in the election manifesto, the DMK Government had increased the training allowance for women SHGs once again to Rs. 45 and pointed out that the same was reduced to just Rs. 7.50 by the previous regime.
Without going into the details of the nature of announcements likely in the budget for ensuring women’s emancipation through promotion of economic self-reliance by providing entrepreneurial and employment opportunities, Mr.Stalin hinted that there would be a slew of announcements aimed at ensuring the progress and protection of women.
Women self-help groups, through prompt repayment of loans had won the confidence of the bankers.He said that his Ministry was in touch with the bankers for providing instant and higher loans to SHGs that had promptly repaid their loans.
