Sonia Gandhi At Malda

Online, March 16, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Congress President and UPA Chairperson visited Malda in West Bengal to attend the function for laying the foundation of a Technical institute named after late Congress leader ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the chief guest on the occasion.

While speaking after the foundation stone laying ceremony of Ghani Khan Choudhury Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sonia Gandhi said that the Congress-led UPA government was focused on women's education and economic development and added that the first-ever all women's bank announced in the Union Budget was one step in that direction.

"The UPA government has taken several steps for the betterment of women and to make them self reliant. The policy to grant 50% reservation for women in Panchayat and local bodies played an important role towards women empowerment. The UPA Government also doubled the honorarium for the Anganwadi workers and helpers" said Sonia Gandhi and continued "For the first time in the history of our country, Rs. 1000 cr has been allocated in the current Budget for an all-women bank, to help women in their business ventures. We are also constituting a Nirbhaya fund with Rs 1000 crore. This fund will be used to protect the honour and dignity of our sisters and daughters. Further, we will soon bring in legislation to prevent atrocities and crimes against women."

The Congress President also said that the UPA Government paid special attention to the welfare of minorities and other backward classes. She informed that, for the first time ever, UPA Govt opened a new ministry for minority affairs. "We also have identified 90 minority-dominated regions across the country, including Malda, and sanctioned a new package for development. We have upgraded the Prime Minister's 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities and he has been personally supervising its progress". Referring to the proposed Food Security Bill, Gandhi said UPA was looking into passing it. "We are trying to pass the Food security bill so that poor people of this country don't have to starve".

Bringing cheers among the gathering, Sonia Gandhi informed "An extension campus of Aligarh Muslim University has been opened at Mushirabad, near to your place. We have initiated a new scheme named Pravas under Rashtriy Gramin Aajeevika Mission to provide vocational training to the youngsters belonging to the minorities and we have selected Mushirabad for its initial implementation".

Earlier Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi paid floral tributes at the grave of late Congress leader ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury and also visited his family members.
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