Only education can empower women: Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said empowerment of women was possible only through education.

Education supported women to lead an independent life and women are excelling in the field of education, he added.

The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the construction of a hostel for Maharani Women’s Science and Arts College and also for a new Science College building, at a cost of ₹175 crore, here.

The Chief Minister also launched the works for the construction of 3rd and 4th floors of Maharani Women’s Commerce and Management College building and the College hostel’s 3rd floor, at a cost of ₹49 crore.

Mr.

Siddaramaiah said the government has already launched programmes for providing education to women and for the empowerment of women in the form of guarantee schemes.

During his speech, the Chief Minister asked the girl students whether they were using the free bus services offered under the Shakti guarantee scheme.

The girl students raised their hands and cheered the government’s Shakti scheme that provides free rides for women in the State transport buses.

The scheme was launched in June last year, after the Congress government came to power.

Highlighting the success of Shakti scheme and its benefits, the Chief Minister said free tickets amounting to ₹325 crore had been issued since the launch of the scheme towards the free travel of women in the buses.

If social reformer Basavanna was the first to provide educational opportunities for women, it was B.

R.

Ambedkar, who made education the right of women, Mr.

Siddaramaiah observed.

The Chief Minister advised the students to attain secular values and develop the principles of ‘Vishwamanava’, thinking rationally, and opined that there is no point in being educated while promoting communal thoughts.

Minister in charge of Mysuru district H.

C.

Mahadevappa, Minister for Higher Education M.

C.

Sudhakar, Minister for Animal Husbandry K.

Venkatesh, MLAs Tanveer Sait, K.

Harish Gowda, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Dr Thimmaiah, MLCs, Karnataka Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee Vice-chairperson Pushpa Amarnath were present.

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