Hyderabad: Minister Ponnam Prabhakar inaugurated an Indira Mahila Shakti canteen near Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Bagh Lingampally and announced further livelihood support for women’s groups.
He also opened an egg shop for street vendors under the Indira Mahila Shakti programme. In addition, he presented a Rs 1.20 crore interest-free loan cheque to women’s self-help groups. The minister distributed school uniforms to students during the programme.
Later, he laid the foundation stone for stormwater drains and CC roads in Ward 163 at Bagh Lingampally in Musheerabad. The works were estimated to cost Rs 1.5 crore. Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav and GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan attended the programme. Other public representatives and officials were also present.
Indira Mahila Shakti canteen offers Rs 5 meals
Ponnam said the government was handing over Indiramma canteens to women’s self-help groups under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s policy. He said the initiative was aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities. At the same time, the canteens would provide quality meals for Rs 5 to poor and working people in Hyderabad.
The government was providing the required infrastructure and developing permanent canteen facilities, he said. Ponnam said the government wanted women to achieve financial independence. He urged women in urban areas to join self-help groups in large numbers, along with their rural counterparts.
He said the government had increased the interest-free loan limit for women’s groups from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. According to him, the government had also paid interest on such loans for the past three years.
The minister said the Indira Mahila Shakti programme covered canteens, solar power projects and other livelihood opportunities. He said the government had also enabled rural women’s groups to own RTC buses. So far, women had been made owners of 600 buses, he added.
Indira Mahila Shakti opportunities planned for urban groups
Ponnam said the government was considering extending bus ownership opportunities to women’s groups in urban areas. He asked the GHMC Commissioner to prepare proposals for women’s groups in Hyderabad to purchase buses. Eligible groups with full repayment capacity should be identified for the programme, he said.
The government was also providing sewing machines to create livelihood opportunities for BC and minority women. Ponnam said women would receive sewing machines and necessary training in every Assembly constituency. The government had decided to provide quality machines with better technology, he added.
He asked eligible women to submit applications by September 30. The minister said women should become financially independent instead of remaining confined to household responsibilities. They should have the financial strength to support their families and participate in decision-making, he said.
Ponnam said women’s economic empowerment would strengthen families and contribute to wider social development. He said the government was supporting women’s groups through interest-free loans, employment opportunities and training. Its programmes also included sewing machines, canteens, buses and other livelihood initiatives. He urged eligible women across Telangana to use these programmes and work towards financial self-reliance.