Dehradun, Mar 8 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday increased the annual pay of Asha workers from Rs 5,000 to Rs 17,000 to mark International Women's Day.

Rawat also distributed mobile phones among anganwadi workers on the occasion, saying Uttarakhand is the first state in north India to bring them on the smartphone network.

The chief minister also increased the monthly salary of Asha helps from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

Speaking at the function, he said empowering women was necessary for all-round development of the society.

"Respecting women is part of Indian culture. India is the only country in the world whose people call it as mother India. This element in our culture is being embraced by the west.

"A society can develop fully only when it offers equal opportunities to its men and women," Rawat said. PTI ALM KJ KJ

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI