Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that one female teacher doing best work in education sector will be bestowed with Rs. one lakh Savitri Bai Phule Award every year. Facility of optional holiday will be given on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Soon, a life-size statue of Mahatma Phule will be installed at Bhopal.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was addressing a national convention of All-India Saini Sabha at Railway Ground here today. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the community in which Mahatma Phule and Savitri Bai Phule were born is unique. They paid attention not only to the education of women in their community, but also entire country.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that the State Government is committed to giving priority to the development of backwards. No stone will be left unturned in their development. Government is making efforts to ensure that flowers are exported, not imported from other countries. The condition of sale of flowers in Mandis has also been abolished. Flower growers can now sell their flowers either in their fields or Mandis. An Agriculture Cabinet has been constituted in the state to promote agriculture. He said that he will also consider constitution of Flower-Vegetable Board.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan exhorted the community to contribute to other trades also besides their traditional occupation. There is no dearth of talents in the community. The State Government is fully cooperating with the community’s talents in services, trade and industries.
Eight women and as many male social workers are honoured with Ramji Mahajan Award every year. Scholarships and prizes are given to talented children. Financial assistance upto Rs. 15 lakh is provided for coaching for All-India Services and study abroad. Besides, group of five children going to city for studies is also given rent for accommodation by the government. He said that no hurdle will be allowed to come in the way of establishment of trades and industries by the community and whenever any difficulty arises he will remove it. Efforts will also be made to make available land to the community for hostel and community hall.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan exhorted the participants of the convention not to discriminate between sons and daughters. He said that we invoke Devis for wealth, power and wisdom then why insist that only son should be born. He said that the State Government is also contemplating to give old age pension to the parents who have only one or two daughters.
Apart from floral welcome, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was also honoured by tying a turban around his head. A memento was presented on behalf of the community. Its journal was also released. The welcome address was delivered by All-India Saini Sabha president Shri Jagdish Saini. Shri G.B. Mali proposed a vote of thanks.
MLA Shri Vishwas Sarang, Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Shri Ramesh Sharma ‘Guttu Bhaiyya’, representatives from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and large number of community members attended the convention.