Amaravati, March 8 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced that the state government has set a target of developing five lakh women as entrepreneurs.

He stated that one lakh women have already been turned into entrepreneurs within a year and expressed confidence that Andhra Pradesh will soon have six lakh women entrepreneurs, the highest in the country.

Participating in the International Women’s Day celebrations organised by the state government at the Amaravati Parade Grounds, he said there should be one MSME from every household and that 50 per cent of them should be led by women.

The Chief Minister unveiled the ‘Swayam AP’ logo for marketing products made by self-help groups.

He also felicitated five outstanding women entrepreneurs and presented a cheque of Rs 10,100 crore in subsidised loans benefiting 6,81,506 women from various sectors.

Extending greetings to women on the occasion of International Women’s Day, he stated that women are known for hard work, love and sacrifice.

The Chief Minister said that the state Cabinet has three women ministers who are working efficiently. The President of India is a tribal woman and the Union Finance Minister is also a woman who presents the national Budget effectively every year.

“In fact, women are the real Finance Ministers because they manage household income wisely and ensure every rupee is used properly,” he remarked.

He recalled that the first leader who ensured justice for women was N.T. Rama Rao. He granted equal property rights to women, established Padmavathi University to promote women’s education and provided eight per cent reservation for women in local bodies.

Chandrababu Naidu also recalled that he, as the Chief Minister, introduced 33 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs and said that soon 33 per cent reservation will also be implemented in legislatures.

“The DWCRA and MEPMA systems that I established have become role models for the country. Even though many institutions suffered setbacks, these systems remain strong,” said Naidu, who earlier served as the Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh between 1995 and 2004.

He said that through the ‘Stree Shakti’ scheme, the coalition government introduced free bus travel for women. He added that he would take responsibility for turning the Swayam brand into a global brand.

Asserting that joint families are the greatest strength of India, he said small disputes should not break families apart. Families should not separate for ration, pensions or housing benefits. Today many elderly parents are left alone. The ageing population is increasing, and this situation must change, he said.

Ministers V. Anita, Savitha, Sandhya Rani and Kandula Durgesh, MLA Shravan and BJP state President P.V.N. Madhav were present on the occasion.

–IANS

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