'Govt focuses on women empowerment'

Vijayawada (NTR District): The State government has been implementing various schemes like YSR Aasara, YSR Sunna Vaddi, YSR Cheyutha etc to empower women and to provide them livelihood, SERP CEO A Md Imtiaz said.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, he said 1.14 crore women are continuing as members in nearly 11.12 lakh DWCRA groups and loans to a tune of Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore are being provided through banks to them each year. A total of Rs 97,724 crore loans provided to DWCRA women and they are regularly repaying with 99.5% recovery since 2019, he added.

Imtiaz claimed that as per the orders of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, interest rates were reduced from 13.50% to 9.50% by discussing with the banks concerned. He said that the State government is also providing benefits to all the leftover beneficiaries in June and December every year. So far, Rs 12,758.28 crore of financial assistance of 'YSR Aasara' disbursed to the accounts of women in two tranches and the financial assistance of third tranche of Rs 6,400 to be disbursed in January 2023, he informed.

The SERP CEO further stated that in order to reduce interest burden on DWCRA women, loans are being provided under 'YSR Sunna Vaddi' at Zero interest rates up to a loan limit of Rs 3,00,000. So far, the Government has provided Rs 3,615.29 Crore in these three years and benefitted 1.02 crore DWCRA women, he added.