Dear sisters, it is our Prime Minister's resolve to ensure no woman should have tears in her eyes. He wanted smile on everyone’s face, and no one should feel helpless. This is the reason why he launched the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ campaign. There are more than one crore sisters who have had an annual income of more than Rs one lakh, and in the last 100 days, 11 lakh such women have become ‘Lakhpati Didis’. Our Government is working tirelessly on this campaign.Women are continuously joining this campaign, started by the Prime Minister, especially in rural areas and smaller towns, and are participating in the nation-building process through self-help groups. I am confident that with the blessings of the Prime Minister, soon three crore more women will become ‘Lakhpati Didis’. Women in the country should progress, prosper, succeed, and establish new dimensions of success. The Government has been constantly working and has made unprecedented progress for women's welfare in the last 10 years. Modi ji is the first Prime Minister of our country who has ensured educational, social, economic and political empowerment of women.

Women are the pivot of society and nation. They are the foundations of our glorious and prosperous future. The importance and significance of women is mentioned even in our Vedas and Puranas. We cannot imagine a prosperous nation without empowering women. This is why our Prime Minister talks about women empowerment and has made their overall development and upliftment the goal of his life. ‘Lakhpati Didi’ is the result of this very resolution of the Prime Minister.

If women are empowered, then the family will be empowered. If the family is empowered, then the society will be empowered. And when the society gets empowered, the state and the nation will get empowered. Generations are prospering and getting empowered through the 'Lakhpati Didi' campaign, which is why the Prime Minister has deposited Rs 2,500 crore as revolving fund into the accounts of self-help groups to empower women and bank loans worth Rs 5,000 crore have been issued so that our sisters can become 'Lakhpati Didis' faster.

Our Prime Minister says, “To make India a developed Nation, every woman of India must be economically prosperous, which is why our Government is working in all possible directions to improve the economic status of women. Bank Sakhi, Krishi Sakhi, Pashu Sakhi, Namo Drone Didi are some of the important steps which have been taken in this direction, which provide employment opportunities to women in rural areas and provide new opportunities for self-employment and empowerment on social, educational and economic aspects. They also reflect the government’s idea of making progress in that direction. Today, our Lakhpati Didi are engaged in agriculture and non-agricultural occupations, cottage industries, and they are becoming empowered by associating with nutrition, cleanliness campaigns, transportation and businesses.”

Prime Minister Modi has been working towards the welfare of women right from the beginning of his social and political career. When he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi ji had brought out a scheme called 'Nari Gaurav Niti' for the overall development of our sisters and daughters. Tremendous work was done to make sure our sisters become independent, self-reliant, strong and financially capable for themselves. Today, our sisters are proving that they are not weak, but strong. Not a burden, but a blessing. Today, around 10 crore sisters are associated with about 92 lakh self-help groups across the country. Through self-help groups, our sisters have positively transformed their own lives and are playing an important role in helping boost the country's economy.

Our Honourable Prime Minister has always tried to bring happiness in the lives of our sisters. For this, several schemes have been brought out by the NDA government under his leadership. Through campaigns such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and ‘Sukanya Samriddhi’, there was been a significant improvement and revolutionary change in the sex ratio of our country. We brought joy to over 10 crores sisters and got them freedom from kitchen smoke through the ‘Ujjwala Yojana’. Today, through the PM Mudra Yojana and the Jan Dhan Yojana, this happiness is directly reaching the bank accounts of crores of sisters. Due to unprecedented efforts like the Jal Jeevan Mission, even in rural areas, our sisters have access to clean water through taps. Accessing safe and hygienic water has become easier for them. The Prime Minister's decision to extend the period of maternity leaves is unprecedented and working women are directly benefiting from it.

Women representation in the Army is increasing due to decisions taken by Prime Minister Modi, such as opening the doors of Sainik School for our daughters. Furthermore, doors have also been opened for the appointment of women officers in higher posts as well as new recruitments in the Indian Army. By making a law against Triple Talaq, Muslim women were given new rights that changed their fate. All these decisions are a reflection of the sensitivity and foresight of our Prime Minister. Even in the field of sports, our women have leaped forward, new talents have emerged, especially through programmes like 'Khelo India'. Our female athletes have made our Nation proud on global platforms like the Olympics.

Modi ji is committed to the empowerment of women and their increased participation in every field in this momentous, golden era of Independent India (Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal). The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is proof of Modi ji's commitment to ensure political empowerment of women and safeguard their political rights.

Women have benefited from the women welfare focused schemes launched by the Prime Minister. They have got the opportunity to live a life with ease thanks to such initiatives. Our daughters are like Ganga, Gita, Gayatri; like Sita, truth and Savitri; like goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. The universe cannot function without them. From family to panchayat, from education to economy and enterprise, 'Nari Shakti' brings new dimensions to development in every field. From startups to space, Indian women have made their mark and raised the Tricolour with pride. 

Our Prime Minister is filled with determination. He works tirelessly day and night. He had said from the ramparts of Red Fort that he will work with three times more enthusiasm and energy to make India a developed nation. I appeal to our 'Lakhpati Didis' to work with our Prime Minister with double the enthusiasm the same way he is working for them. Our Prime Minister's resolve is to make India a poverty-free Nation and we will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling this dream.

It is written in our ancient scriptures that “any Yagya is incomplete without a woman”. Similarly, the goal for a Viksit Bharat is also closely linked to the overall welfare, upliftment and empowerment of women. Certainly, under the leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the work being done for the welfare of our mothers, sisters and daughters is giving a divine form to a 'Viksit and Atmanirbhar' India. Today, our mothers and sisters are becoming financially, socially, politically and educationally strong and self-reliant and we are all seeing the dream of a developed India come true. The whole world now says that this is the time for a rising India and India's 'Nari Shakti'.

(The author is the Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare)