Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people of Haryana to protect the girl child in its golden jubilee year and expressed satisfaction that the state has now started contributing towards improving the gender ratio in the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Haryana Swarna Jayanti Utsav" (Haryana golden jubilee celebrations) here, the Prime Minister also urged the people to make the state open defecation free in this glorious year.
"I was always pained by the fact that in a modern, cultured state, daughters are killed even before being born. In such a distinguished state, female foeticide cannot exist," Modi said.
"I requested them to protect the daughters and today I am satisfied that people of Haryana have respected the sentiment," the Prime Minister said.
"I thank the women, who as mothers-in-law vowed to protect the girl child. I also thank the elders who took a leading role in protecting girl child," he said.
He also hailed the efforts of the Manohar Lal Khattar government for working towards stopping female foeticide and infanticide.
The Prime Minister pointed out that girls from Haryana have become the pride of the nation. "The daughters of Haryana have made India very proud on multiple occasions. Let every citizen of the state take a pledge to protect the girl child."
He also urged the people of Haryana to end open defecation in this golden jubilee year. "Haryana should be free of open defecation. I am confident Haryana can do this," he said.
Referring to a large number of people from the state joining the armed forces, Modi said: "Haryana has a huge contribution in the safety and security of the country. A large number of youth from the state join armed forces, and some of them have also laid down their lives while protecting the nation."
The Prime Minister further said that the people of Haryana are a hard working lot and whatever the state has achieved is because of its hardworking people.
On the occasion, he also assured those coming from the lower strata of the society of all support from the government. "Be it agriculture, skill development or economic reforms, our efforts are aimed at helping the poor overcome poverty."
In the presence of Governor Kaptan Singh and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Prime Minister also launched three schemes for the state - Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana, Automation of Fair Price Shops and Kerosene Free Haryana.
The rural areas of seven districts he declared Open Defecation Free are Panchkula, Sirsa, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Yamunanagar and Panipat.
Similarly, the eight districtsAhe declared "Kerosene Free" from November 1, 2016 are: Ambala, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Panchkula and Yamuna Nagar.
The Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana' aims to put a check on the development of unauthorised colonies and simultaneously achieve the target of 'Housing for All - 2022' at reasonable rates in small and medium potential towns. It also aims at providing small plots to accommodate maximum number of people in the limited area in the medium and low potential towns of the state.
--IANS
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