A large number of Congress women members and representatives of some NGOs today met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi to greet her for the government's proposal in the Union Budget to set up an all-women bank by October-end.

Led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee and All India Mahila Congress, they put forth their various demands like introducing higher interest rates for the account-holders in the bank saying this would encourage even male members of the family to deposit their money there.

In its press release, the Mahila Congress said the all-women bank was one of the demands made during the party's Chintan Shivir in Jaipur, which the government under the instruction of the Congress President carried out.

"The women are very happy about the decision. They also want to thank Gandhi for the decision taken in the Budget for the security and protection of the women," Mahila Congress chief Anita Verma said in a press release.

Hailing the proposed India's first all-women bank for which the government has committed an initial capital of Rs 1,000 crore, Verma said the decision will make Indian women economically strong and make them feel proud that they have their own place to carry out financial transaction.

After the Chintan Shivir, the Jaipur declaration of the party had said, "the Indian National Congress shall continue to build the capacity of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Indira Gandhi had established NABARD 30 years ago to stimulate agriculture and rural development.

"The Congress believes that now is the time to establish a dedicated National Bank for Women to provide financial services to women in general and women SHGs in particular."