Jagan government under YSR Aasara offered Rs 19,178 crore for women empowerment

VIJAYAWADA: The AP government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would, for the third consecutive year, distribute Rs 6,419.89 crore to 78,94,169 women beneficiaries from 7,98,395 Self Help (Dwacra) Groups on Saturday.

The chief minister would do so by the press of a button during YSR Aasara funds release programme at Denduluru in Eluru district. The total assistance provided by the present government under YSR Aasara so far was Rs 19,178 crore including the current offer of Rs 6,419.89 crore.

Officials said that though the previous government promised in 2014 that they would pay women on behalf of the self-help groups, it did not make the payment, “leaving the debts of Rs 78.94 lakh to elder sisters by forgetting their poll promise.”

Keeping the promise given in the 2019 poll manifesto by Jagan Mohan Reddy that they will pay off the debt of Rs 25,571 crore, this was done already in 2 installments of Rs 12,758 crore by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.

The previous government cancelled the zero interest scheme. So, the debts have piled up. About Rs 3,036 crore of interest turned a burden to our sisters. As a result, the Self Help groups in A grade also fell into C and D grades and NPAs reached 18.36 per cent.

The YSR Asara and YSR Zero interest became active again under the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and non-performing assets (NPAs) reduced from 18.36 per cent to 0.45 per cent with a 99.5 per cent recovery. “As a result, the faces of the sisters are smiling again,” government sources said.

The sources said, “The YSRC government is taking steps towards making every elder sister a millionaire with the aim of welfare, self-reliance and empowerment of elder sisters. The scheme will further promote women empowerment and contribute to the economic advancement of poor women in rural and urban SHGs.”

They said CM Jagan Mohan Reddy has brought this scheme with the intention that women will be economically developed and their families will be happy.

“This scheme has been implemented with the good idea of bringing more light in the lives of women, bringing stable income to their families, using this money for business and livelihood opportunities that they create for themselves and becoming millionaires.”

“So far, 9,86,616 sisters have taken up businesses like grocery stores, cow, buffalo, sheep, goat rearing and textile trade with the support provided by the Jagan government in cooperation with Corporate institutions and banks and are getting Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000 as additional income.”