Women’s empowerment key to development of state, country: Tripura minister

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, December 31, 2025

Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday said the true measure of development of a state or a country lies in the empowerment and progress of women, asserting that infrastructure alone cannot define growth.

Addressing the Nayee Chetana National Campaign 4.0 programme at the Mohanpur RD Block, Nath said development remains incomplete unless women and girls advance socially and economically. Roads, communication systems or buildings may reflect physical progress, but a state or country can be considered truly developed only when its women are empowered and moving forward, he said.

The minister said Nayee Chetana 4.0 was launched on November 25 by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Annapurna Devi with the objective of promoting new thinking, direction and aspirations among women, particularly in rural areas. He said the campaign focuses on issues such as gender-based violence, discrimination, women’s safety and financial empowerment.

Referring to the Centre’s development priorities, Nath said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently emphasised women, the poor, youth and farmers. He said the government’s development agenda was inclusive and aimed at building Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat without discrimination on the basis of religion or caste.

Highlighting women-centric initiatives, Nath said sustained efforts were being made to make women self-reliant through Self-Help Groups. He said that in the Mohanpur block, 1,024 SHGs with around 10,200 members have been formed, along with 54 village organisations.

Urging Panchayat representatives to actively engage with SHGs, the minister said financial empowerment of women would also strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions and accelerate grassroots development.

Nath said the Lakhpati Didi initiative has yielded encouraging results in Tripura, with 1.08 lakh women attaining Lakhpati status across the state, including 1,523 women from the Mohanpur block.

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