Telangana Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the government is implementing Abhaya Hastham public welfare schemes such as Mahalakshmi, Gruhajyothi, Indiramma Houses, and Mahila Shakti Mission to bring light into the lives of the poor in a manner beneficial to those who do not even have minimum facilities.
Under the Mahalakshmi scheme, the first promise implemented immediately after coming to power, was free bus travel. Under this scheme, 34 lakh 37 thousand women and girls in the State are travelling free in RTC buses every day. So far, women in the State have availed 269 crore 68 lakh free journeys under this scheme, thereby saving nearly ₹9,222 crore.
Under a scheme to relieve women from the burden of cooking gas cylinders, the government is supplying gas cylinders at Rs.500 each, which benefitted 42.90 lakh families in the State. Through this scheme, women have saved about Rs.752 crore, he said.
The Finance and Power Minister said that under the Gruhajyothi scheme – free electricity up to 200 units to about 53 lakh 9 thousand poor and middle-class families – the government has paid Rs.3,954 crore to the power utilities, and 10.97 crore zero-bills have been issued under this scheme.
Under Mahila Shakti Mission, the government has resolved to make 1 crore women in the IKP groups of the State into millionaires. Mr. Bhatti said that they are making efforts to facilitate bank loans of Rs.1 lakh crore in five years. As part of this, loans amounting to Rs.57,938 crore have already been facilitated.
Under the VLR scheme, from December 2023 till today, interest subsidy of Rs.1,329 crore has been released to urban and rural SHGs. In the State, IKP has emerged as a strong network of self-help groups with 67 lakh women.
On business opportunities being created for self help groups, the Telangana Finance Minister in the Budget speech said the government will purchase 600 buses through SHGs and lease them to TGSRTC. In the first phase, the government have purchased 494 buses at a cost of Rs.177 crore 84 lakh
To further strengthen women’s empowerment, in addition to the existing 10 districts, the State government is establishing Indira Mahila Shakti Bhavans in 22 more districts, he said.
– N RAVI KUMAR
