Renuka Chowdhury inaugurates
Virtual Congress of Mahila Kissan and Children's
Science Congress
Smt. Renuka Chowdhury, Union Minister
of State(Independent Charge) for Women and Child Development
has said that Information Technology has helped bridge
the gap between urban and rural areas. Speaking at the
inaugural of the First National Virtual Congress of
"MAHILA KISAN" at the ongoing Indian Science
Congress here today, she said that women farmers who
are attending to the dual chores of farming and cattle
rearing besides looking after the household duties need
to be provided with the Pattas for the land on which
they depend.
The first virtual conference brought
together women farmers in arid, semi-arid, coastal,
hill and irrigated areas for a discussion on both the
opportunities and constraints facing women in agriculture.
The Minister said that due to lack
of joint pattas, women farmers are not able to get institutional
credit and Kisan credit cards as the lending agencies
are yet to become adequately gender sensitive. She acknowledged
the demand for a policy favouring the women folk in
the villages.
The virtual conference was organized
with women farmers coordinated through the local Village
Resource Centres spread across seven places from Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.It
has highlighted to the scientific community the urgent
need for attending to the technological and sociological
needs of women farmers which are mostly male-centric
till now.
During the interaction the women farmers
put forth various demands including medical and risk
allowances, post harvest technology, community godowns,
threshing floors and water harvesting facilities.
Smt. Renuka Chowdhury also inaugurated
the Children's Science Congress. The Exhibition has
been organized as a part of the event showcasing the
projects of winners from state and national level competitions.
Later Dr. M.S. Swaminathan gave away
cash awards and certificates of merit to fourteen ISCA
Young Scientist Awardees and released Prof. B.P. Pal
Commemoratory Stamp on the occasion.
Source:
Press Information Bureau Date: January 05, 2008
