Gorakhpur, Feb 14 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that the grant under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana will be increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per beneficiary annually from April, this year.

He said that as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the double-engine government is working diligently for the safety, respect, and dignity of women.

Addressing the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Samaroh organised on the fertiliser factory premises on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, the Chief Minister said: "In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign to ensure the safety, respect, and self-reliance of women. Only when daughters are protected and educated, can they contribute to the country and society."

He emphasised that a daughter contributes to the advancement of the entire family, adding that several schemes are being implemented at the central and state levels today to save and empower daughters.

He mentioned that after becoming the Chief Minister for the first time in 2017, he launched the Kanya Sumangala Yojana, which facilitates education of a girl child right from her birth till graduation.

He said that the government has provided Rs 15,000 to more than 17 lakh daughters annually through this scheme so far.

This amount will be increased to Rs 25,000 from April.

He said that under the "Mukhyamnatri Samuhik Vivah Yojana", the state government has conducted three lakh marriages since 2017, spending Rs 51,000 per couple, out of which Rs 35,000 are sent to the bride's account.

"It is heartening to see that children from both poor and affluent families are participating in the 'Samuhik Vivah Samaroh'," he said.

"Marriage, as a timeless tradition, serves as the cornerstone of responsible households, nurturing and perpetuating ancestral legacies through generations. It intricately intertwines with the very fabric of the universe, symbolising the cyclical nature of life itself," the Chief Minister emphasised.

The Chief Minister highlighted the grave injustices perpetrated against women, including abhorrent practices such as child marriages, dowry, divorces and female foeticide.

These practices, he lamented, not only undermine the dignity of women but also contravene the principles of humanity and respect. He urged people to pledge to not participate in child marriages, not to give or take dowry, and to put an end to practices like divorce forever.

/IANS