Kevadiya (Gujarat) June 17 (Agency) Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani said on Friday that for the social and economic empowerment of women, plans are being made to implement the Balika Sarpanch Scheme across the country. Giving details of the achievements of the eight-year rule of the Union Government on Friday, Irani said that the government has made plans on many fronts for the empowerment of women and they are being implemented effectively. He said that the impact of these schemes is clearly visible at the ground level. The Union Minister said that the government has been able to reach out to the far flung and tribal areas of the country. She further said that the concept of Balika Sarpanch has been already been started in the rural areas of Kutch region of Gujarat, which has yielded encouraging results.
Therefore, now it is being considered for implementation across the country.Under the Balika Sarpanch scheme, panchayat is formed in the village comprising of girls from the village. The girls who are eligible to vote in Balika Panchayat are aged between 11 to 18 years and form their own panchayat. The girls associated with the Balika Panchayat said that their suggestions have helped in improving the level of social security, cleanliness and education in the village. Improved delivery of welfare schemes of the government and have helped in bringing them to the real beneficiary. Irani said that Balika Panchayat can play an important role in the political and social empowerment of women. The Balika Sarpanch Yojana, which was started on an experimental mode in the Kutch region, has helped the Gram Panchayats in the region to perform their tasks better.