Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the ordinance that introduces the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 showed his government’s determination to act on the matter, reported PTI.

“There is a government in Delhi which listens to your voice and takes decisions,” he said at the National Panchayati Raj Sammelan at Ramnagar in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district. “So, the Centre has made a provision for capital punishment to the monstrous intent. Shivrajji [Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan] just referred to the capital punishment provided in the ordinance for rape against minors and I could see that it [the remark] received cheers from everyone present here.”

Modi said families have to enhance respect of their daughters and teach their sons to be more responsible. He called for a social movement to ensure safety of women and girls.

The prime minister also launched the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in Ramnagar, a tribal-dominated region. The scheme seeks to strengthen the panchayati raj system in India, reported NDTV. He also spoke about the welfare of tribals and farmers, and asked elected representatives of panchayats to educate villagers to become self-dependent in farming. He urged panchayat representatives to spend National Rural Employment Guarantee Act funds during the months of April, May and June only on works related to water conservation.