Patna, Nov 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the commencement of 150th birth anniversary year celebration of Bhagwan Birsa Munda by visiting Bihar’s Jamui district and paying his tributes to the tribal freedom fighter on Friday.

Meanwhile, a large number of women participants who attended his public gathering spoke to and elaborated on how the various welfare schemes of the Modi government brought a turnaround in their lives.

Many women hailed the schemes like National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana while others showered praise on PM Modi for schemes like Ujjwala and Ayushman Yojana.

Rinki Kumari, a resident of Gidhaur, said, “I run the Self-Help Group (SHG) and look after 12 groups. Women come here, study, and also take loans to start their own enterprises. Some of them have opened shops while others’ husbands have bought autos.”

She further said the scheme helped them get rid of moneylenders and this was helping them save interest on loan. “Earlier, women could not even sign, but they themselves go to the bank, withdraw money from there. She has also found the courage to speak. Women who earlier could not go out, now go out for group work and do bank transactions,” she added.

“Now, every house has a toilet. Every household is also getting ration. All this change happened in the present government, which is making women self-reliant and changing lives,” she added.

Meena Devi, a resident of Sikandra block, said, “We are connected through Jeevika and our lives have changed a lot because of Jeevika sisters. After joining Jeevika, we have got the facility to take and give loans.”

“Because of PM Modi, women are moving forward and working outside along with household chores. We have got many facilities. Toilets, ration, and other essential things are available, which were not there before,” she added.

Another woman said, “In earlier times, women could not even think of leaving the house. Neither did the women reveal their names, nor did they make any effort to identify themselves. But now we are getting a lot of facilities. The benefits we are getting through Jeevika are unprecedented. Jeevika has made us so empowered that now we can easily get help.”

She further said, “Farmers are getting Rs 6,000 every year to improve their farming and support their families. It is a big achievement for us. Now, women are able to step out of the house to earn their livelihood.”

Mamta Devi, who also lives in Sikandra block, said, “Earlier, we used to go to moneylenders for loans who would charge heavy interest but since the launch of the scheme under PM Modi, we take and give loans directly from our group.”

She further said, “Today, we got a chance to see PM Modi for the first time. We are so happy to see them. We would like to thank him for providing so many facilities in our lives.”