Shillong, Sept 18: Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Mobashar Jawed Akbar on Tuesday took part in a cleaning drive at Mawklot village in Upper Shillong and said that women should be given the opportunity to become new builders of a new India.

Akbar came to the state where he participated in a cleaning drive organized as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva.

Addressing the gathering, Akbar highlighted about 130 million Indians who benefited from the Mudra scheme where 78 to 80 per cent of these loans have gone to women.

“We are confident that they (women) will become extremely productive part of the economy. When we invest in women, we invest on the future. We have to give women an opportunity to become the new builders of new India,” he said.

He said that one of the reasons why the county has gone back to high growth was because of women who have become the central part of the economic emancipation.

The union minister of state said that the government was able to release the women from the bondage and slavery of duties which include the long hours they had to spend on firewood for cooking.

“The smoke of firewood everyday is estimated to be up to 200 – 250 cigarettes a day. However, today 8 crores women from the poor have got gas cylinder across the country,” he said.

Lauding the initiative taken up by the Narendra Modi-led government, Akbar informed that in a week’s time or so, the final picture of the National Health Insurance Scheme will be presented.

Pointing out on how much of every person’s income has gone into medicine, he said there is saying among the poor, one illness and everything they have earned is gone again.

“Those days are over because for the poor, medical insurance of Rs 5 lakh per family will now be given by the Modi government. It is one of the greatest burdens that you can think of that is going to be lifted from the lives of the poor,” he added.

He further stated the vision of the prime minister was of a nation which will have prosperity adding it is not the creation of wealth only for the rich but it means giving the first and greatest benefits of economic progress to those who needed most.

Highlighting on the importance of the swachh bharat mission, the union minister of state said that a mission has no end as it must become a part of our daily lives and that it is for the future generation.

“It is also not simply the health of the exterior which brings us here but it is the health of the body because we do not realise that the environment affects our body,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Urban Affairs Minister and UDP legislator from Mylliem Hamletson Dohling appreciated the district administration for having organized the cleaning drive at the village under his constituency.

“It (cleaning drive) is very much relevant as this village have been awarded as the cleanest village in Upper Shillong area when I was an NGO leader,” he said.

Stating that MDA government aims at restoring back the lost glory of Shillong, which was once upon a time known to be the cleanest place, Dohling said, “This is one of our goals as a government and to achieve this, I appealed for the support and cooperation of all the citizens.”

According to him, the implementation of the Smart City project will also go a long way in helping the government to achieve the target in making Shillong, the clean and smart.

Also present on the occasion were PHE Minister Samilin Malngiang, deputy commissioner of East Khasi Khasi Hills PS Dkhar and others.