Hyderabad: The state government will launch at least 150 ‘Mahila Shakti’ canteens across Telangana in the next two years. These outlets will offer subsidised food, and will be on the lines of the 'Indira canteens' if Karnataka.
The canteens would be allotted to women SHGs (self-help groups). The special canteens will be set up in all state government offices, district collectorates, tourist spots, prominent temples, bus stands and industrial areas with the assistance of women organisations.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had released the Mahila Shakti policy document at Parade Ground on March 12 in the presence of around one lakh women SHG members. After launching the policy document, Revanth Reddy had declared that the Congress government would make one crore women members of SHGs 'crorepatis' in the next five years by sanctioning `1 lakh crore loans through banks and the state government's 'Stree Nidhi' initiatives. He said that the earlier Congress government led by Y.S.
Rajashekar Reddy had made women SHG members 'lakhpatis'.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari held a review meeting on Thursday to draw a plan of action for setting up mahila canteens. She directed officials of panchayat raj and rural development to prepare a detailed action plan on the functioning, management and the space required to set up the canteens.
A study has been done on the canteens in Kerala and West Bengal, she pointed out. The management of these canteens will be handed over to rural women groups, whose members would be provided special training on running the canteens.
Revenue principal secretary Naveen Mittal, panchayat raj commissioner Anita Ramachandran, health commissioner R.V. Karnan, endowment commissioner M. Hanumantha Rao, tourism director K. Nikhila, tourism corporation managing director K. Ramesh Naidu and other officials were present in the meeting.
