Jaipur, March 8 (IANS) On the occasion of International Women's Day celebrated globally on Sunday, Rafeek Khan, Congress Chief Whip in the Rajasthan Assembly and MLA from Adarsh Nagar Assembly constituency, announced a unique initiative aimed at strengthening women's participation in development activities.
On the occasion, Khan invited more than 40 women Councillors and social workers from the Adarsh Nagar constituency to his residence and announced Rs 1 crore from his MLA fund to support development works in their respective areas.
Addressing the gathering, the Congress leader urged the women representatives to identify development needs in their localities and propose projects based on the priorities of their communities.
He said the fund would be used to execute development works through women Councillors and social workers.
Khan also added that the amount could be increased if required to ensure effective implementation of projects.
During the interaction, the Congress leader expressed concern over what he described as the neglect of women's issues in recent state and Central budgets.
He also mentioned that the Udaan Yojana, which was launched during the previous Congress government to distribute sanitary pads among women and girls, has been discontinued by the current Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government.
He also said that the scooter scheme for meritorious female students, which aimed to encourage girls' education, has also slowed down during the tenure of the present state government.
Khan emphasised that the initiative is not merely financial assistance, but an effort to empower women by giving them a direct role in the development process.
According to the Congress leader, the move will help strengthen gender equality and promote women-led development at the grassroots level.
Several women representatives and social workers from the Assembly constituency attended the event, including Sunita Mahawar, Rabia Gudage, Savitri, Gunjan Sharma, Sanju Tank, Surendra Kaur, and Mamta Sharma.
The initiative by Congress MLA Rafeek Khan is being widely viewed as an important and inspiring step toward strengthening women's empowerment and participation in local development initiatives.
