Keeping a promise made to the state's women in the Left Democratic Front election manifesto, state Finance Minister Thomas Issac, in his maiden budget presented in the assembly on Friday, announced the setting up of a full fledged department for women and allotted Rs 91 crores for women-centric projects.
"Besides the schemes for women in this new department, it will also streamline all schemes for women in other departments," said Issac, while presenting the "alteration memorandum" of the state budget.
He said the Left, in their previous tenure (2006-11), had set up a gender budgeting programme, but unfortunately the Congress-led UDF government discontinued it. It will now be restored.
"As part of stepping up the overall sanitation and hygiene intervention programme, special freshening up centres would be opened in public places where women can use it for their needs. I am setting aside Rs 50 crore for this and the women empowerment programme - Kudumbhasree - would be the agency that will overlook the project," said Issac.
--IANS
sg/vd
