The Uttar Pradesh government has identified 25 major religious sites to host programmes under the fifth phase of the Mission Shakti campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the safety and respect of women and girls. A total budget of Rs 1.45 crore has been sanctioned for these ten-day events.
Artists’ troupes performing at the programmes will receive an honorarium of Rs 50,000 per event, while assistants will be paid Rs 1,000 each. Additionally, Rs 50,000 per programme has been allocated for logistics and Rs 5 lakh for documentation.
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The Culture Directorate had earlier instructed District Magistrates to form committees to select temples and artists for the campaign.
The newly released government order now lists the 25 identified religious sites, which include prominent temples such as Maa Vindhyavasini Devi (Mirzapur), Jwala Devi (Sonbhadra), Sita Samahit Sthal (Bhadohi), Alopi Devi and Lalita Devi (Prayagraj), Shakambhari Devi (Saharanpur), Katyayani Devi (Mathura), Vishalakshi Devi (Varanasi), and Chandrika Devi and Sankata Devi (Lucknow), among others.
Cultural programmes at these sites aim to engage local communities and promote the message of women’s safety and empowerment across the state.