Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Sunday said around 17.5 lakh women in the state have become "Lakhpati Didis", underscoring the government's focus on women's economic empowerment.

Addressing a Gram Vikas Chaupal programme in Kadail village of Pushkar, Sharma said several welfare measures launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are aimed at strengthening women socially and financially through access to toilets, cooking gas connections, tap water and direct benefit transfers.

He said women associated with the Rajasthan Rural Livelihoods Mission are contributing significantly to the rural economy by taking up roles such as "Krishi Sakhi", "Bank Sakhi" and "Pashu Sakhi", helping them achieve financial independence.

The chief minister said the loan limit under the Lakhpati Didi scheme has been raised to Rs 1.5 lakh, while the interest rate has been reduced to 1.5 per cent to support women entrepreneurs.

During an interaction with women beneficiaries, Sharma praised their contribution in improving household incomes through activities such as animal husbandry and small businesses, and assured continued government support for self-employment and livelihood generation.

Several ministers and public representatives were present at the event.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.