Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched several women-centric initiatives in the Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh and transferred around Rs 1000 crore to the bank account of various SHGs, which will benefit around 16 lakh women.

According to reports, the PM also transferred money to over 1 lakh beneficiaries of the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme, which provides assistance to the girl child. 

While addressing the public at the launch of ‘Kanya Sumangala Yojana’, the PM said, “The state has worked for women empowerment. This scheme will benefit the daughters of the state.”

The amount was transferred under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM). The mission aims to provide women, especially those at the grassroots, with necessary skills, incentives and resources.

The programme, which saw the participation of over two lakh women, was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Modi also released over Rs 20 crore to more than 1 lakh beneficiaries under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme’, which provides conditional cash transfer to a girl child at different stages of her life.

The total remittance is Rs 15,000 per beneficiary.

“Most of the beneficiaries are those girls who didn’t even have accounts until some time ago. But today, they have the power of digital banking…..Now daughters of UP have decided that they won’t let the previous governments come back to power,” PM Modi said in his address.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of 202 supplementary nutrition manufacturing units in 43 districts. These units are being funded by SHGs and will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 1 crore a unit.