Imphal: In a Press Conference held Wednesday at the Conference hall of the Secretariat South Block, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale highlighted the schemes along with its achievements of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the State. The Union Minister arrived today for a two-day visit of the State.
Ramdas Athawale said that under Prime Minister Mudra Yojana, nearly 3 lakhs beneficiaries were given loans amounting to 1581.57 crore rupees in Manipur. Under Prime Minister Awaz Yojana (Urban) Scheme, about 5000 houses are constructed with an expenditure of Rs 238 crores till date in Manipur. He also informed that about 1,57,000 households without gas connection were provided with free LPG connections in the State under PM Ujjwala Yojana. Under PM Jan Arogya Yojana, a healthcare scheme for the poor, 28,000 people benefitted in the state at an expenditure of about Rs 31.1 crores rupees. Athawale also stated that nearly 3 lakhs beneficiaries in Manipur were covered under PM Ujala Yojana with an expenditure amounting to nearly 2 crores.
Commenting on the agitation by farmers against the recent three farm laws passed by the Parliament, Ramdas Athawale said that the three laws will benefit farmers as it has provisions for farmers to sell their products at a better price. Supporting the laws as being pro-farmers, he appealed to the farmers to give up the agitation. Highlighting on the apprehensions of the farmers that the government has plans to snatch the lands of poor farmers, Ramdas Athawale clarified that the government has no such land-grabbing plans at all.Speaking on the budget allocation under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the year 2021-22, Ramdas Athawale said the total budgets for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women and Child Welfare have all been increased compared to the previous year.
