Bhubaneswar, Dec 10: Union Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the dignity of Odisha has been hampered in the entire country due to rising incidents of violence against women and crimes related to women caused by a corrupt governance system. 

Gracing the BJP Mahila Morcha's extended executive meeting as the chief guest, the Union Minister said the NCRB data has lowered the prestige of Odisha. 

According to the latest NCRB report, Odisha is at the forefront in the number of crimes committed against women in the country. Mamata Meher and Paree can get proper justice only if the local government is ousted, Pradhan said.  

He expressed unhappiness that newborns and women are in the worst condition in Odisha. He slammed that action is not being taken against Ministers, MLAs and leaders despite allegations of crimes filed against them.  

The Mahila Morcha has decided to hold a mass movement to make the State government's failures reach the people. 

He claimed that the Narendra Modi government has always prioritized women's empowerment, which has been included in the 'Modi Guarantee'. 

He said more than 1 crore women have opened Jandhan accounts in Odisha today. As many as 77 lakh toilets have been constructed in the state through Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and 32 lakh houses have been given under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana. Similarly, 53 lakh women have been given free gas under Ujjwala Yojana. 

He said 56 lakh households are being provided clean drinking water through pipes under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Similarly, loans have been made available to SHGs at low-interest rates through banks.

Pradhan urged the activists to strengthen the organisaiton at the grassroots level and make reach welfare programmes of the Modi government reach the beneficiaries. 

"To achieve the vision of a developed Odisha and a developed India envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women will have to take the lead," Pradhan said and hoped that women's leadership would bring political change in Odisha.

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