Hyderabad: The State government is likely to take a decision on the long pending Rs 2,500 monthly allowance for women under the Mahalakshmi scheme in the Cabinet meeting convened by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on July 25. The promise of providing financial assistance to women every month has been pending since the Congress came to power in the state.

The pending issue of the promulgation of ordinance for 42 per cent BC quota and the schedule for local body elections will also be on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting.

Sources said that the state Finance wing was preparing a report to ascertain financial requirements for the new scheme of monthly financial assistance to women. “The state government is eyeing to woo the women voters and a policy decision on Rs 2,500 for women will help the Congress win majority of local bodies in the ensuing elections”, sources said, adding that the Opposition parties were already targeting the government for not fulfilling the scheme which gained a lot of attention during the 2023 Assembly elections. Due to financial challenges, the government has not taken any decision on the launch of the scheme till now.

Free RTC bus travel for women, interest free loans to women self-help groups, financial assistance to women to establish solar power plants and provide hire buses to RTC, have already helped the government to consolidate women’s support to the Congress. “Financial requirements and eligibility criteria are important to launch the scheme before the State Election Commission issues notification for local body elections”, sources said.

State Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao instructed the Secretaries of all departments to send agenda items duly approved for consideration of the Cabinet in the meeting, officials said. The meeting is also expected to discuss the allocation of funds to various welfare schemes.