Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 25 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that Banking Correspondent (BC) Sakhis are not only an example of women's empowerment but also function as self-mini branches of banks in every village, handling all the banking transactions.

"In the past six years, the government has achieved success in providing housing facilities to more than 54 lakh poor people in rural and urban areas. In the state, BC Sakhis are not only an example of women's empowerment but also function as self-mini branches of banks in every village, handling all the banking transactions," Yogi said.

Yogi Adityanath on Thursday launched 'Samarth 2023' for the promotion of digital transactions at the gram panchayat level during the inaugural ceremony of BC Sakhi's national conference held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan on Thursday.

Speaking after launching the scheme, UP CM said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi started BC Sakhi in Prayagraj in the year 2020 to facilitate banking transactions in more than 56,000 gram panchayats.

"Uttar Pradesh is a state with limitless possibilities and rapid work is being done on these possibilities under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi. In view of this, the construction work of the village secretariat is in its final phase in every panchayat. Soon every gram panchayat will have its own secretariat. The appointment of computer operators in these village secretariats has already been done, where every individual from the associated village will have the facility to provide their income, residence, caste, birth, and death certificates. Besides, there will also be a seating arrangement for BC Sakhi. Along with this, under Mission Shakti, programmes related to women's safety are being conducted by gram panchayats, which will serve as a central point for reviewing revenue and all departments," he further said.

During the event, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Vijay Laxmi Gautam etc., were present.

Speaking about digitization and its benefits against corruption, he said, "If corruption is to be attacked, then we have to go towards digital transactions. For this, Jan Dhan accounts were opened by running a campaign under the guidance of PM Modi. Today, in the state, a total of Rs 3.30 lakh crore have been directly transferred to the beneficiaries' accounts through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) for schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Prime Minister's Crop Insurance), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (Prime Minister's Farmer Honor Scheme), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Prime Minister's Housing Scheme), and Chief Minister Awas Yojana (Chief Minister's Housing Scheme)."CM Yogi said that the benefits of the schemes of the government are being extended to every section.

"Earlier, the residents of the state could not avail the benefits of these schemes because the allocation for these schemes was devoured by corrupt officials among themselves before it could reach people. But today money is being sent directly to the beneficiary's account with one click", he said.

He further said that the aim of good governance is to give the benefit of the schemes of the government to the person sitting at the last rung without any hindrance or barrier. (ANI)