By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net

Bhopal : The Woman and Child Development Minister, Ms Kusum Mehdele introduced the 'Tejaswani' programme here at the academy of administrations today. Tejaswani is the programme which has been launched keeping in view the empowerment of rural women.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Mehdele viewed that any scheme launched for the welfare of women would succeed only when a positive change is registered in the mentality of men. The minister said that a woman faces partiality since her birth. Further speaking she said that laws of security for women are formulated by men. Men are also responsible for violation of
these laws. She said that a woman should be treated as companion by a man.

The 'Tejaswani' programme is being launched in six districts of the state by the Madhya Pradesh Woman Finance Development Corporation, (MPWFDC), with the International Agriculture Federation of Rome. The six districts selected under the programme include: Panna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Dindori, Mandla and Balaghat. Efforts would be made for socio-economic empowerment of 1.80 lakh women of 12,000 self-help groups under the programme. An amount of Rs. 126 crore has been earmarked for the eight year programme.
(pervezbari@eth.net)