AP Bags 11 Skoch Awards For Poverty Alleviation, Social Justice

VIJAYAWADA: In a remarkable achievement, Andhra Pradesh has bagged 11 Skoch awards in the social justice and urban poverty alleviation categories. The awards – nine platinum and one gold – have been presented at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on Saturday.

Speaking after receiving the prestigious Skoch Gold Award under the Social Justice category, BC Welfare minister S. Savita dedicated the award to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who is keen on empowering unemployed backward classes youth by providing them free coaching to appear for competitive examinations.

Expressing delight over the honour, Savita said the award will motivate her to work with greater commitment. She disclosed that the government is planning to establish a BC Study Circle on five acres of land in Amaravati as well as new study centres in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Anantapur.

“Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naidu are giving top priority to the welfare of weaker sections,” she underlined.

On the day, Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) received nine Skoch Platinum awards for its exemplary service in urban poverty alleviation. MEPMA submitted 14 of its projects for consideration and nine have been chosen for the SKOCH Platinum awards. These reflect MEPMA’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive urban development across Andhra Pradesh.

MEPMA director N. Tej Bharath, who received the awards on behalf of MEPMA, credited the Andhra Pradesh government, the dedicated MEPMA team, and urban self-help groups for their relentless pursuit of progress. He underlined that the SKOCH Platinum awards reinforce MEPMA’s position as a model agency with successful projects that can be adopted by other states for urban empowerment and inclusive growth.

Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), won the prestigious Skoch Award for 2025 in recognition of its successful implementation of digital ticketing services, making travel more convenient and transparent for passengers.

The award was presented at a ceremony held in New Delhi on September 20. The corporation’s chief engineer (IT) Y. Srinivasa Rao received the award. Announcing this, Executive Director (Administration) G.V. Ravi Varma said APSRTC was proud of the recognition. Vice-Chairman and MD Dwaraka Tirumala Rao expressed happiness over winning the award and congratulated the staff who contributed to this achievement.

Skoch Group chairman Sameer Kochhar and Professor Mahender Dev presented the awards. Those present included BC Welfare secretary S. Satyanarayana.

The projects that received the awards are:

Nivasam: Providing safe and secure shelter to urban homeless.

Livelihood Tracker: Harnessing technology to monitor and enhance livelihoods.

Bank Linkage Scheme: Fortifying financial inclusion through Self-Help Group (SHG)-bank linkages.

Empowering SHG Women via e-Commerce: Enabling SHG women entrepreneurs to access online markets.

SHG Empowerment through Skill & Gig Economy Initiatives: Connecting SHGs with gig economy opportunities for skill building and employment.

SHG-Led Enterprises and Urban Job Creation: Promoting SHG-led entrepreneurship and job creation in urban areas.

Prerana Sakhis: Recognising outstanding SHG women as role models and community leaders.

Street Vendors Management Programme: Supporting livelihoods and welfare of street vendors.

Vulnerable Occupational Groups Formation: Organising and empowering workers in vulnerable sectors.