Provide girls a level-playing field: Mufti

Launches social security schemes for girls from low-income families

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today urged society to become progressive and change its perception towards the girl child for the growth of a nation.

He said the growth of a nation would not be possible if discrimination against children continued on the basis of gender.

The Chief Minister said girls required economic security, just as boys, and access to quality education and jobs so that they become equal partners in progress and development of the state.

“Please provide girls a level-playing field as they have the ability to match and even surpass our expectations,” Mufti said.

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre here today after launching the ‘Ladli Beti’ scheme, a social security scheme for the girls born in low-income families.

He also launched an insurance-based scheme — ‘AASRA’, aimed at providing security to the low-income groups, in case of death or disability.

Speaking in Kashmiri, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti described the occasion to launch the two schemes as one of the happiest days of her life.

She said while people made symbolic gestures regarding gender equality, the world continued to be stacked heavily against the girl child. “Real peace and prosperity will only come if we are able to secure the future of our womenfolk,” she said.

Mehbooba urged the government to consider enhancement of ceiling from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh to bring more families under its ambit. She called for special attention towards education and employment generation for girls.

“Huge challenges still remain for empowering women and socially-deprived sections of society,” she said. She thanked the Chief Minister for bringing Srinagar under the ambit of the scheme as a special case.