Guwahati: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday distributed cheques of Rs 20,000 each to 32,000 non-working mothers under the Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana, a state initiative aimed at empowering women.
During a public function held in Rangpo, the Chief Minister handed over the first installment of the scheme, which promises Rs 40,000 annually to unemployed women who are mothers. The government has launched this effort to offer financial support and recognition to homemakers across the state.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The event also marked the celebration of “Aama Samman Diwas”, observed alongside the 8th anniversary of Tamang’s release from jail, which he referred to as “8th Jan UnMukti Diwas”.
Tamang described the day as deeply emotional, especially because his mother, Dhan Maya Tamang, joined him at the event.
Expressing his gratitude on Facebook, the Chief Minister wrote:
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
“I am deeply moved by the overwhelming love and respect shown to me and my mother.”
Officials confirmed that they will gradually add women who have not yet enrolled in the scheme to ensure statewide inclusion.
Tamang, who has repeatedly voiced concern about Sikkim’s declining fertility rate, has introduced several pro-family measures in recent years to encourage larger families in the state, which remains India’s least populous.
At the Rangpo event, the Chief Minister also announced that the Department of Women, Child, Senior Citizens and Divyanjan will launch ‘Nari Adalats’.
These community-led women’s courts aim to offer informal and accessible justice, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
“Nari Adalat will empower women to resolve social and family disputes locally, reducing dependency on the formal legal system,” Tamang said.
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development supports the initiative, which falls under the ‘Sambal’ sub-scheme of Mission Shakti.
The CM also revisited the difficult period of his incarceration, claiming the previous government falsely implicated him in a corruption case.