Uttar Pradesh to observe 'women-only' assembly session to discuss accomplishments of Mission Shakti

In a letter written by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, all women legislators in both the Houses of the state assembly are invited to participate in a 'women-only' legislative session tomorrow, on September 22. The assembly session is expected to evaluate the achievement of the Mission Shakti scheme which was launched by the Central government in 2020.

"Reaffirming his commitment to ensure the security, dignity, and self-reliance of women, the Chief Minister has also provided comprehensive information about the efforts made by the government and outcomes achieved so far under 'Mission Shakti' programme'," an official press statement issued by the state government today, mentioned.

In the letter, CM Adityanath was quoted, "Under Mission Shakti, the perception about Uttar Pradesh has changed throughout the nation and the world as a result of the efficient implementation of policies and initiatives of the central and state governments relating to women empowerment. The Uttar Pradesh government has put a lot of effort towards empowering women over the past five and a half years while also assuring their safety and dignity."

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As per the an official document -- Scheme Implementation Guidelines -- released by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Developement, Mission Shakti is a scheme in mission mode aimed at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment.

"It seeks to realise the Government"s commitment for, women-led development" by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership. It seeks to focus on proposing strategies for improving convergence across Ministries/Departments and at different levels of governance. It also seeks to promote greater participation and support of Panchayats and other local level governance bodies, apart from strengthening digital infrastructure support, last mile tracking and Jan Sahabhagita [people's participation]," it added.

The announcement for 'women-only' assembly session has come close on the heels of the violent incident involving the rape and murder of two minor Dalit sisters in the state's Lakhimpur Kheri district on September 15. All six accused in the rape murder case been sent to a 14-day judicial custody after they were produced at the Additional District Judge's residence on September 16.

The police identified the six accused as Chotu, Junaid, Suhail, Hafizul Rehman, Karimuddin and Arif. They are charged under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012. One of the accused was nabbed following an encounter in which he was shot in the leg.