'Govt aims to provide jobs in nearly 2.5 lakh gram panchayats'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the government is aiming to provide stable job opportunities to people in nearly 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana.

Prime Minister Modi was interacting with women associated with Self Help Groups through video conferencing on the Narendra Modi (NaMo) app.

"Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, the government aims to provide stable job opportunities to people in nearly 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country," said the Prime Minister.

He further said that as a part of Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, young people are being trained to be self-reliant.

"As part of Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, special focus is being accorded to skill development among youths. Young people are being trained to be self-reliant so that they can live according to their will," Prime Minister Modi said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Locket Chatterjee, while speaking to ANI, said, "PM Modi is addressing women self help groups via video conferencing. We had organized screening in Bhawanipur area but we were stopped by some people. TMC workers are behind this, they don't want this program to be screened."

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said that women are an indispensable part of India's dairy sector and agriculture.

"Today you take any sector, you will see women are working in large numbers. The country's agriculture sector and dairy sector can't be imagined without the contribution of women," the Prime Minister had said.

The interaction is aimed at highlighting the positive changes that various Self Help Groups have brought at the rural level.

"I will interact with those associated with women Self Help Groups across India. It would be wonderful to hear their experiences, especially how they are driving a positive change at the grassroots level," PM Modi had tweeted on Tuesday.

Some of the groups, which participated in Thursday's interaction, were under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana namely National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs).