Hyderabad: Like the earlier Telugu Desam and Congress governments, the TRS government too has planned to rope in women Self Help Groups in a big way to ensure effective implementation of government welfare and developmental schemes.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is thinking about increasing financial assistance to SHGs through banks from the present '5 lakh per group to '10 lakh.
Sources told this newspaper that the CM has asked officials to prepare an action plan to help the SHGs and also utilise their services in the effective implementation of schemes.
Plans are also afoot to change the name of Indira Kranti Pathakam and provide regular jobs to IKP project staff, besides others, soon. At present, there are 4.18 lakh SHGs with membership of 48 lakh women in the 10 districts of Telangana.
The TD and Congress governments, including the one led by Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, used the SHGs in the implementation of government schemes and also a vote bank.
“The government is keen to enhance skill development of the SHG members and also ensure proper marketing facilities for them. There are also plans to increase the finances to them which are limited to 5 lakh through banks. Of course, it is the discretion of banks. But government will see that banks are more liberal and double the loans to groups which have a good track record of repayment,” an official said.
