Bhubaneswar: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated International Women’s Day at its State Headquarters, where Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi emphasized the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment. During the event, the Chief Minister stated that women are no longer weak but are leading in diverse fields ranging from agriculture and education to aviation and space research.
The Chief Minister highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, women have been given priority in all sectors since 2014. He noted that initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao were launched within months of the Prime Minister taking office to support the development of girls. Inspired by these efforts, the Odisha government has implemented several schemes over the last two years, including the Subhadra Yojana.
Shri Majhi reported that funds have already been provided to over one crore women across four installments of the Subhadra Yojana, helping them become self-reliant entrepreneurs.
Additional state initiatives mentioned included the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana for economically disadvantaged women and the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana to encourage the birth of girl children. The state has also integrated the Mamta and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana to support education and health from birth.
State Mahila Morcha President Dr. Aiswarya Biswal added that the BJP government has fulfilled its election promises regarding women’s advancement.
To mark the occasion, Chief Minister Shri Majhi honored nine women for their outstanding contributions in various fields. The awardees included swimmer Divyanka Divyajyoti Pradhan, martial artist Sarubali Nayak, celebrated sprinter Dutee Chand, and athlete Puja Behera. Others recognized were marathon runner Babita Priyadarshini, para-swimmer Babita Dalai, basketball player Lizalin Jena, kabaddi player Biduprabha Swain, and weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera.
Additionally, MasterChef contestants Anju Ojha and Manju Pradhan were felicitated for their achievements. The event was attended by national social media coordinator Sujata Padhi, singer Susmita Das, and numerous Mahila Morcha members.