Chandigarh, April 27
Haryana Health Minister, Arti Singh Rao today said, why some political parties are opposing the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’ and not allowing women to move forward, even as women are excelling in every field today. She was speaking during the special session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on the Bill brought by Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini.
Criticising the Opposition, Rao said that by stopping the Bill in the Lok Sabha, they have disrespected women and crushed their aspirations. She added that despite the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the amendment to the Act could not be passed. The Minister said that women may forget many things, but they do not forget disrespect. She said that opposing women’s reservation is wrong and the public will respond to it.
Rao highlighted that today women are performing strongly in fields like medicine, engineering, science, space and business, often matching or even surpassing men. When women succeed as entrepreneurs or scientists, they bring pride to the entire nation. She said an educated and respected woman strengthens not only her family but also the nation. She added that several schemes launched by the Prime Minister, such as ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, ‘Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana’, ‘Ujjwala Yojana’, ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ and ‘Mudra Yojana’, have improved the lives of women.
The Minister said that the state has seen improvement in sex ratio and a significant drop in maternal mortality rate, which now stands at 89 per lakh live births, a reduction of 25 points compared to the previous year. In recognition of this achievement, the state has received a grant of Rs. 150 crore from the Government of India.
Rao said the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, this law was passed by Parliament in 2023 and was originally planned to take effect in 2034. To bring it into force earlier, by 2029, the Prime Minister recently called a special session of Parliament from April 16 to April 18. During this session, a Bill was introduced to amend the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’. However, it is unfortunate that the Opposition tried to stop progress for political reasons.
Rao further said that some political parties tried to block the process by making baseless claims and spreading misinformation. Questioning the Opposition, she said that even in the 2024 elections, women voted in large numbers, and yet such a Bill is being opposed. She added that women should not remain behind men but stand equal with them. Supporting the proposal brought by the Chief Minister, she strongly backed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’ and condemned the Opposition for blocking its passage.
