Kolkata, Aug 14 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that over 93 lakh women have benefited from the state government’s Kanyashree scheme.

Taking to the social media platform X, CM Mamata said her government has spent over Rs 17,000 crore in the last 12 years to help women through this scheme.

“Today is Kanyashree Day. The Kanyashree project has completed 12 years today. Many congratulations to all the Kanyashree women across the world, across the country, across Bengal. I don’t think there is any other government project that has had such a big impact on women’s empowerment in society in such a short time! That’s why it is so popular in the world – it won the United Nations Public Service Award, winning first place among 552 projects from 62 countries,” Banerjee said.

‘Kanyashree Prakalpa’ is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme which is aimed at checking child marriage and retaining girls in schools and other educational institutions.

In 2017, Kanyashree Prakalpa, which is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme, received the United Nations’ highest award, the first place for Public Service.

“I always think that a society where women are not well off can never be well off. Empowerment of women is necessary for the development of society. It is my pride that today there are more than 93 lakh ‘Kanyashree women’ in our state. Seventeen and a half thousand crore taka has been handed over to them under this project. We don’t just talk about women’s empowerment. We do it,” she said.

The Chief Minister concluded by saying, “I would like to tell all the Kanyashree women to grow up in life and make the face of the country and the state shine. You will one day build a world Bengal. You will wear the crown of respect on your heads in the world.”

–IANS

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