For empowering women, Uttarakhand government has increased the gender budget by nearly Rs 200 crore for 2010-11.

Concerned over the skewed sex ratio in the state, the state government has earmarked Rs 1417.75 crore for gender budget, meant for women empowerment through various schemes.

The allocated amount for 2010-11 is nearly 17.65 percent more than the previous fiscal when it was Rs 1205.04 crore.

For the first time, Rs one crore has been allocated for providing free gas connections to rural women while an equal amount has been provided for employment-oriented plantation of herbs like Harr, Bahera and Trifla.

The state government has also earmarked Rs 50 lakh for protecting women against domestic violence, while Rs 5 lakh each has been provided for constructing homes for mentally challenged women and promoting widow marriage.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank while presenting the budget last evening had expressed the government's commitment to take women forward. For this purpose, he said Rs 296.49 crore has been proposed for the women empowerment and child development departments.

There are only 906 girls against 1000 boys as per the 2001 census, he said. .

Gender budget was introduced in 2007-08 when Rs 333 was allocated for the purpose and only departments like health, education, women empowerment were covered under it.

However, in last four years it has expanded to 26 departments with government including two more departments food and forest this year.

Nishank has also earmarked Rs 39 lakh for setting up a state women commission.

However, Mahila Samakhya, a central government agency, has asked the government to come out with a separate women policy.