60-yr age cap causes heartburn among women SGHs in Nalgonda

Nalgonda: The government cap of 60 years has put many Self Help Group (SHG) has put many members and also those who had forged their age to get Aasara scheme benefits in trouble in Nalgonda district.

The state government sanctioned old age pensions to provide aid to elders as they could not work due to age related problems. A few people including women are getting old age pensions by changing their age in Aadhaar cards.

Upon receiving many complaints, the state government decided to put an age cap of 60 years to the members of the Women Self Help Groups. This decision has been creating problems even for the members who changed their age for pensions.

SHG groups have been playing a key role in women empowerment. But, the new rule of age cap of 60 years has led to lose eligibility of younger women as they increased their age intentionally in the Aadhaar cards for Aasara pensions.

The government decision have been creating ripples in self help groups and the grief of under-aged women members of SHGs those who are getting old age pension is beyond description.

The women of SHGs are supporting the families financially by doing businesses with the help of loans being provided to the groups by the government. Following the government order, the officials concerned are getting ready to take steps with regard to 60 years age cap for members of SHG groups in the district in order to facilitate joining of new eligible women in the place of ineligibles in SHG groups.

As many as 8,21, 485 members are there in 79, 923 women groups in erstwhile Nalgonda district.

Government has been providing loans of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh to SHGs as per their eligibility and track record. Also, it has been providing loans under pavala interest with bank linkage and Stree Nidhi personal loans as a part of women empowerment.

Members who attained 60 years will be removed from the groups by officials as the government has imposed a age cap for the members of SHGs.

As per the preliminary reports, as many as 20 percent above 60 age group have been continuing in SHG groups and are attending the meetings of the groups occasionally in the name of age burden and are failing to utilise the schemes of governments. Considering all factors, the government decided to remove the old aged members in SHGs.

Following the instructions of the government, the officials of DRDO are collecting information of members of SHGs through Aadhaar cards. The old aged women will not get any loan, if they continue in the groups.

Members of the SHG groups have been raising their objections of removing old aged members of groups with age cap rule. The groups are worried about the EMI payments of women who are going to leave the group in the name of age and also concerned about the burden to be borne by the rest of the members.