The Telangana government unveiled the ‘Indira Mahila Shakti Policy - 2025’ on Saturday, reinforcing its commitment to women’s economic empowerment.
As part of the initiative, the government flagged off buses purchased by self-help groups (SHGs) and sanctioned financial aid to boost their businesses. He also laid virtually the foundation stone for solar power generation plants to be set up by the self-help groups. The event, held at Parade Grounds, saw participation from Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka), Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, and several other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister criticised the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, accusing it of neglecting SHGs over its decade-long rule. He highlighted the Congress-led government’s commitment to providing interest-free loans to SHGs annually. “When we announced ₹20,000 crore interest-free loans per year, the BRS laughed at us. But today, we have exceeded our target within this fiscal year,” he announced.
On the occasion, Minister Seethakka said that the SHGs were going to set up petrol bunks, hire 600 electric buses to the TGSRTC and 1000 MW solar units in the State with the help of the government. Accusing the BRS government of ignoring the SHGs, she cautioned the SHG members against falling prey to false propaganda unleashed by the BRS.
Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari explained the measures being taken by the State government to uplift women.
As part of the programme, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accompanied by Ministers and officials visited various stalls showcasing SHG products and interacted with the entrepreneurs. He also inspected model women-run petrol stations set up on the occasion and the Indira Mahila Shakti Canteens, where he learned about their business operations. The canteen organizers shared that their daily turnover had reached ₹15,000, showcasing their financial stability.
The Chief Minister also visited Vijaya Dairy stalls, fish trucks provided under subsidy by the SERP, and the Women and Child Welfare Department’s exhibition.
Mr. Revanth Reddy also handed over a cheque worth ₹22,794 crore to 2,82,552 SHGs in the State. Additionally, ₹44.80 crore was provided under loan insurance and accident insurance schemes for SHG members.
Published - March 08, 2025 10:18 pm IST
