Budgam, Mar 31 (KNS): Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Mir Altaf Ahmad on Thursday said that centrally sponsored ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme across central Kashmir district has yielded positive results, saying that it was aimed at to end discrimination against women in the area.
“Health officials including the district administration in Budgam have taken an oath for working to end discrimination towards women in the area under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) campaign,” DC told a gathering of students, teachers and health officials at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Budgam.
The DC laid emphasis on the ‘equal rights of women’ and urged people to bring change on the grassroots. He said the scheme has shown encouraging results in reversing the declining sex ratio in the district which now has improved to 972 women per thousand males. He directed the officials of the health department to collaborate with the department of education and other agencies to generate awareness among people for better implementation of the scheme. He said that people need to be made aware of the importance of women empowerment. He said, “Awareness is needed at the grassroots. Even our religions teach us to empower women. Time has come when we see more girls on the forefront than the boys,” he said.
“Budgam has the lowest literacy rate, which is adding to many problems for the district. Women section is particularly deprived of the basic right to education, so we have to gear up and work for the upgradation of the womenfolk in the area,” he said. “The scheme needs to be implemented in letter and spirit. It is being given the utmost importance,” he added.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelHe lauded the role of health officials for successfully reaching out to the people regarding the importance of the programme so far.
The central Kashmir’s Budgam is one of the few districts where an awareness plan against female foeticide has been across the State. The DC said that the administration was aiming to reach out to the various areas where female in-feticide was a biggest issue. While distributing school bags among the students, the DC urged them to be the ambassadors of the BBBP scheme.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tehmeena Bukhari, who is supervising the campaign, said that that they have initiated to implement the scheme across the district successfully. She said that they were involving civil society members, senior citizens and religious scholars to take forward the scheme. She lauded the initiatives of the government for taking up the campaign seriously.
“It’s a good scheme for women. Rs 1000 per month will be added to the accounts of girls till they reach age 14. It amounts to about Rs. 5 lakh that will help them at the time of their marriage,” she informed. “The government has recently implemented Ladli Beti scheme across the State. We are deliberating upon it to spread the movement across the district,” she added. The official informed that BBBP campaign also included a detailed cultural and street shows plan and poetry sessions, which were presented noted theatre artist Nazir Josh aka ‘Ahad Raaz’ and prominent satirist Ayoub Sabir.
Chief Medical Officer, Budgam, Dr. G M Dar among other officials from health and Education spoke on the occasion. (KNS)