SHIMLA: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Himachal Pradesh State Committee, led by its representatives, met with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state, Mr. Manish Garg, demanding the continuation of the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Sukh Samman Nidhi Scheme during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The scheme, which provides a monthly pension of ₹1500 to women, has been in effect in Lahaul-Spiti district for some months, and women across the state have been receiving benefits even before the announcement of the elections.
In a press conference held in Shimla, party leaders including Sanjay Chauhan, Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, Vijendra Mehra, Jagat Ram, and Falama Chauhan emphasized that the government should continue distributing the pension scheme throughout the election period.
They argued that since the scheme was implemented prior to the election announcement, its continuation does not violate the Model Code of Conduct.
They criticized the BJP's opposition to the scheme, labeling it as humorous, trivial, and anti-women.
The party accused the BJP of revealing its anti-women stance by opposing the economic support provided to women.
They highlighted the contradiction in BJP's earlier criticisms of the government for not implementing the scheme and now opposing it when it's in effect.
The CPI(M) stressed the importance of such financial assistance for women, especially considering the challenging economic and social conditions they face in Himachal Pradesh.
