YSR Aasara shored up women SHGs in State, says Minister Kakani

He was addressing a meeting in Nellore to mark the release of ₹6,419.89 crore, the third tranche of the financial assistance, to 7.98 lakh groups.

Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy on Saturday said that a majority of the units started by women members of self-help groups (SHGs) in the State were in fine fettle owing to the financial support extended to them by the ‘‘women-friendly’‘ YSRCP government.

He was addressing a meeting in Nellore to mark the release of ₹6,419.89 crore, the third tranche of the financial assistance, to 7.98 lakh groups. This includes ₹826 crore to 34,440 groups in SPSR Nellore district under ‘‘YSR Aasara’‘.

He said the previous TDP government had reneged on its promise to waive loans to women SHGs. Many of their units had become sick and, as a result, loans advanced to them by banks turned non-performing assets (NPAs).

Despite financial constraints in the wake of the coronavirus-induced economic crisis, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy stood firm on his commitment to women, whose sufferings he had witnessed during his long march, and released ₹12,758 crore in two tranches to 7.98 lakh SHGs in the State, he said after visiting some of the units in Nellore to see their functioning.

In Ongole, over 200 beneficiaries, led by Ongole mayor Gangada Sujata and YSRCP district president T. Madhavi, organised a ‘‘Bonalu’‘ as a thanksgiving to the mother goddess for turning them into successful entrepreneurs. A total of 27,581 women from 2,822 urban SHGs received ₹96.06 crore in the third tranche, said Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) Ongole city manager D.Ch. Kondaiah.