Hyderabad, May 25 (IANS) The Telangana government aims to promote one crore women to millionaire status by 2034, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Monday while announcing a slew of measures for women’s empowerment.

The Chief Minister declared that 553 buses owned by women’s self-help groups would be flagged off at Parade Grounds on June 5.

He announced that the limit for bank-linkage loans provided to women’s self-help groups is being increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The Chief Minister virtually laid the foundation stone for 8,000 Indira Gandhi Stree Shakti Bhavans (Women’s Empowerment Centres) across the state.

He stated that it is the firm resolve of this “people’s government” to elevate women’s power, ‘Mahila Shakti’, as a shining example for the entire nation.

Driven by the vision of transforming women into bus owners, a plan had already been implemented to facilitate the purchase of 1,000 buses through women’s self-help groups and subsequently lease them to the RTC, he said.

The CM also recalled that within just two days of assuming office, the government had introduced free travel for women on RTC buses and has so far reimbursed the RTC approximately Rs 10,000 crore under this scheme.

He revealed that the government has facilitated bank-linkage loans amounting to Rs 60,472 crore for women’s groups and has already disbursed Rs 1,390 crore towards interest-free loan schemes.

The Chief Minister urged women’s groups not to limit themselves to small-scale livelihood activities but to venture into larger businesses.

The Chief Minister said that a scheme to establish rice mills, warehouses at the mandal (block) level, and logistics parks by women’s groups was launched and emphasised that the role of women’s groups must be expanded to procurement, storage, and milling of food grains.

Measures would be implemented to enable women’s groups to directly procure paddy and supply the processed rice to the government.

Women are accountable for every single grain to enhance transparency and accountability in procurement.

The establishment of “Mahila Shakti Super Bazaars” by women’s self-help groups, modeled on corporate retail chains, is also planned.

CM Revanth Reddy said the government is prepared to lease out land at concessional rates in urban areas for the establishment of these super bazaars.

The objective of this initiative is to ensure that quality goods are made accessible to the public, farmers find a market for their produce, and women’s groups generate income.

The government would also serve as a stakeholder in the Mahila Shakti Super Bazaars, ensuring that high-quality agricultural produce, organic products, and daily essentials cultivated by farmers reach consumers through this channel.

If rural produce secures a robust market, it would benefit farmers.

The CM also highlighted that the government was taking measures to establish 1,000 megawatts of solar energy plants through women’s self-help groups and compete with big corporations.

Further, women’s groups were also made partners in the petrol pump business sector.

Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers Seethakka, Sridhar Babu, and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Rajya Sabha member Vem Narender Reddy, Government Advisor Harkara Venugopal, and others were present.

–IANS

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