AP Govt Strives For The Economic Empowerment Of Women: AP CM YS Jagan

Denduluru(Eluru dist):  Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs.6,419.89 crore benefiting 78.94 lakh women under the third tranche of YSR Aasara besides laying foundation stones for several developmental activities virtually. Distribution of Aasara funds to the beneficiaries across the State will continue for 10 days.

Releasing the amount with the click of a button here on Saturday, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Government would continue to work for the education, social, economic and political empowerment of women. 

He said the Government has so far distributed Rs. 19,178 crores to self-help groups of women as part of the promise made to them in Feb 2019 during his Padayatra. The YSR Aasara is being implemented to help the women stand on their own following his assurance to write off their bank loans that stood at Rs. 25,516 crores as on March 31, 2019.  The Government distributed Rs. 12,758.28 crores in the first two tranches of YSR Aasara towards the repayment of the bank loans of women’s self-help groups.

Observing that the Government has so far spent Rs. 2,25,000 crores towards the welfare of women in the last 45 months through various welfare schemes like Amma Vodi, YSR Aasara, Cheyuta, Kapu Nestam, EBC Nestam, Vidya Deevena, and Vasathi Deevena, he said that 9,86,616 women have so far been able to launch their own business units like provision stores, poultry farms, food processing units, vegetable shops, cloth stores and dairy farms with the financial assistance provided under the YSR Aasara.

While the Government has entered into MoUs with corporate companies like L&T, Reliance, PG, ITC, Amul and Mahindra to guide the self-help groups of women in turning entrepreneurs, it has also made the banks to reduce the interest rate to 7 to 9 per cent from the 13 per cent, he said, adding it is negotiating with the banks to reduce it further. 

Calling the Government women-centric, the Chief Minister said that while the zero-interest scheme was dissolved by TDP rule, the present Government had to pay Rs.3615 crore for reviving it. After YSRCP came to power, banks advanced Rs. 3036crore as zero-interest loans to the self groups afresh. He said that the Government’s efforts to strive for the economic empowerment of women are yielding expected results as the loan recovery from self-help groups has reached 99.55 percent now. Women in the State have become role-model for the women’s groups in other states and other state Governments are observing the systems being adopted here. 

Ours is the only Government in the country that enacted an Act to allot 50 percent of the nominated posts to women in trust boards of temples, Corporations, and ZPTCs, he observed, saying the Government is paying utmost priority to the safety of women. Disha App has been downloaded by 1.17 crore women and 26,000 women have so far benefited from it, he said.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stones virtually for the Rs. 68.85crore lift irrigation-cum-drinking water project at Jagannadhapuram in Pedavegi Mandalam for supplying drinking water to 42 villages, for the Rs. 18.33crore worth check dam and double lane bridge at Balive village in  Musunur Mandalam and for a Rs. 2.78crore 30-bedded PHC at Vijayarai village.

Deputy Chief Minister (Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) B Mutyala Naidu, Denduluru MLA K. Abbaiah Choudary and Eluru District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh also spoke at the event.

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