After Ladki Bahin scheme, Maha govt to give Rs 1 lakh to SHGs for women's empowerment: Bawankule

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 9 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will not just stop at the Ladki Bahin Yojana for women's empowerment but will also give Rs 1 lakh as subsidy to self-help groups (SHGs), state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in Parbhani on Friday.

Addressing a rally for the January 15 civic polls, he asked BJP's women workers to form such groups.

Bawankule also said the BJP's lotus is the symbol of development for Parbhani, while others will take votes and then disappear.

"While working for developed Parbhani, we need to give security here against communal riots. We have to break the backbone of illegal businesses. We are planning to bring the routes of Parbhani under CCTV network and provide security," he said.

He pointed out that schemes similar to Ladki Bahin Yojana have been running in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for years, while it shut down in Karnataka under a Congress government.

(Then Deputy Chief Minister) Devendra Fadnavis had a word with (Union minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan (who as CM implemented it first in Madhya Pradesh) and started Ladki Bahin Yojana when Eknath Shinde was chief minister, Bawankule said.

"The scheme will continue as long as we are in government. We want to hike the aid in it," he said.

Bawankule said he, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and CM Fadnavis have made a scheme for self help groups.

"We have made around 2200 SHGs in Nagpur. We are going to take a decision of giving grants of Rs 1 lakh to each self help group. This money will help them start their own business. At least 500 SHGs should be made in Parbhani every year," he said. PTI AW BNM