Udaipur, 15 August. Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje launched the biggest programme of the country to empower women ‘Bhamashah Scheme’ from Udaipur on Friday the 15th August. The scheme will start a new era of making women self-reliant. This dream project of Chief Minister Smt. Raje is a gift of ‘financial freedom’ to 1.5 crore women of the state. It will give them freedom from the economic dependence on their family.

The Chief Minister after launching the scheme distributed ‘Bhamashah Card’ to the beneficiary women and the first card was handed over to Shanta Bai, a resident of Udaipur. Smt. Raje also inaugurated the first Bhamashah Enrolment Camp organised in Kota through video conferencing.

Addressing the gathering while launching the Bhamashah Scheme at Swami Vivekanand Conference Hall of Mohan Lal Sukhadia University in Udaipur Smt. Raje said our country is following the patriarchal system from decades and launching of this scheme will bring landmark revolution in the State and now Rajasthan will move forward using the women power.

Smt. Raje said though women are living in independent India but they still did not get freedom from the social neglegence. She said being a woman Chief Minsiter she had taken decision to provide 50% reservation to women in Panchayati Raj and Local Body elections during her last regime. She was the first to take such decision in the country though the matter went to the court during the previous government.

The Chief Minister said to make my sisters ‘power women’ the concept of the Bhamashah Scheme had been given shape but the scheme was closed by the successive government. She said Bhamashah Scheme was announced on 28th February 2008 during her last regime. 45.78 lakh women were enroled, 29.07 lakh bank accounts were opened, 8000 cards had been issued in the year 2008. After opening the accouns the state government had deposited Rs. 160 crore in the banks, but this scheme had been closed by the successive government in the state while the UPA goernment in centre had started the Aadhar Card Scheme in September 2010 copying our scheme. The Aadhar scheme was not a successful one and Aadhar card has remained merely an identity card having no thought of financial inclusion and not having any big utilization for the people.

Smt. Raje said after pondering over for a long we have decided to launch this ambitious scheme on the occasion of Independence Day from the pious land of Mewar so that this annivesary of our Independence could become memorable as the day of self-respect for women. She said the scheme was launched from Mewar because this is the land of brave women like Pannadhay, Hadi Rani and Rani Padmini.

She said some people want to obstruct the development of the state and such people took Bhamashah Scheme to the court but the women got justice there. These are the people who had put hindrences in the path of development but people of the state are with us and so our government will make all efforts to take the state in the list of the leading states of the country.

The Chief Minister said for the enrolment under the scheme camps will be organised at Gram Panchayat and Ward level from 16th August. A centralized helpline with toll free number (1800-180-6127) has also been set up, she added.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, Principal Secretary Finance Shri Subhash Garg, other senior officials and dignitaries were present on this occasion.