At a programme on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferred ₹1,000 crore to bank accounts of self help groups to benefit around 16 lakh women.
The amount was transferred under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The mission aims to provide women, especially those at the grassroots, with necessary skills, incentives and resources.
The programme, which saw the participation of over two lakh women, was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Prime Minister also released over ₹20 crore to more than 1 lakh beneficiaries under the 'Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme', which provides conditional cash transfer to a girl child at different stages of her life.
The total remittance is ₹15,000 per beneficiary.
The prime minister also laid the foundation stone of 202 supplementary nutrition manufacturing units in 43 districts. These units are being funded by SHGs and will be constructed at a cost of around ₹1 crore a unit.
PM Modi also said that women are happy with the government's decision to raise the marriage age to 21 but this has caused pain to some.
Addressing a rally in Prayagraj, he also said that 25 lakh of the 30 lakh houses given under Prime Minister Awas Yojana are registered in the name of women in Uttar Pradesh.
This shows the government's commitment to "sacha (true) empowerment of women", Modi said.
"We are trying to increase the age of marriage of women to 21 years so that they can have time to study and progress. The country is taking this decision for its daughters. Everyone is seeing who is having problems with this...it has caused pain to some," he said.
