CM Jagan releases Rs.1261 crore, to work to empower women

TIRUPATI: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday credited Rs 1,261 crore directly into the accounts of 1.02 crore women belonging to 9.76 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) as interest reimbursement under the third tranche of the YSR Sunna Vaddi (zero interest) scheme.

Speaking at an event to mark the occasion at PVR Municipal High School in Ongole, the Chief Minister said the state government was committed to women empowerment for which it had rolled out schemes like Sunna Vaddi, Aasara and Cheyutha.

“In the last three years, the government has disbursed Rs 3,615 crore under YSR Sunna Vaddi schemes, benefiting women who had repaid their loans in time. The government has discussed with banks and reduced the interest rates for women to 8.5-9.5 per cent from the existing 12.5-13.5 per cent”, the Chief Minister explained.

Listing out welfare schemes that are rolled out since the inception of the government, the Chief Minister said Rs 1,36,694 crore had been disbursed through direct benefit transfer (DBT) without any middlemen or corruption, and Rs 94,318 crore of the total was credited directly to women beneficiaries.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, he stated that they were jittery with the implementation of welfare schemes and were running propaganda campaigns on state finances. He said that the ‘Navaratnalu’, the nine welfare schemes, had changed the lives of weaker sections.

“There is no difference between our government and the previous one in revenues and loans. Despite having fewer borrowings than the earlier one, all the promised schemes are being implemented in a transparent manner. We have achieved what Naidu could not do in his term,” the Chief Minister noted. He said the government had initiated the welfare schemes despite the financial crisis due to Covid-19.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the government had prioritised weaker sections and strived for social justice. In cities like Vijayawada, the mayor’s post was given to a candidate from the BC community. Ministers B. Mutyala Naidu, Adimulapu Suresh, Meruga Nagarjuna, and other public representatives and senior officials were present at the event.