The Telangana Chief Minister plans to strengthen self-help groups to ensure women achieve financial prosperity and economic independence.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has set a target to transform one crore women into millionaires by 2034. Speaking at an interaction programme with women members of self-help groups (SHGs) in Kodangal on Sunday, the Chief Minister said the government aims to increase SHG membership from the current 70 lakh to one crore to ensure financial prosperity.
According to reports from The Hindu and India Today, Reddy stated that women are the backbone of families and that households prosper when women control financial decisions. He said the government is expanding their roles in business and entrepreneurship, including operating petrol bunks, participating in solar power generation, and running Indiramma canteens in government offices and the Secretariat.
The Chief Minister noted that women are generating annual business worth Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore through activities such as stitching school uniforms for government students. He also mentioned that the government has extended bank-linkage loans of Rs 79,000 crore to women over the last 34 months.
Regarding welfare, Reddy announced that 4.5 lakh new pensions were sanctioned on Sunday, with 3.5 lakh of these for widows and single women. He also highlighted the Indiramma housing scheme, 200 units of free electricity, and free travel for nearly 37 lakh women on RTC buses every day.
Reddy urged women to move beyond welfare dependence to become entrepreneurs and emphasised the importance of higher education for girls. He also criticised BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, alleging that he mistreated his own sister and questioning his claims regarding women's empowerment.
