The Telangana government would continue implementation of the interest-free loan scheme to women self help groups, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development K.T. Rama Rao said here on Saturday.
A decision to the effect was already taken by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with an objective to work for empowerment of women. The government, which had already introduced schemes such as ‘Kayalana Laxmi’,would take up more such schemes for the welfare of women, the Minister said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) A. Murali met the Minister and discussed the implementation of interest-free loan scheme on Saturday. Mr. Rama Rao said their government had sanctioned Rs. 485.44 crore for the scheme for 2014-15 against Rs. 344.66 crore released in the last year.
He said the government’s decision to continue implementation of the scheme would benefit about 30 lakh women enrolled in 3 lakh SHGs. It would lessen the financial burden on women who were taking up livelihood activities on their own. Though there were about 4.15 lakh SHGs in the State, only 3 lakh groups who were repaying the loans in time were eligible for interest benefit, he noted.
The SERP-CEO explained to the Minister that the total outstanding loans of SHGs was Rs. 5,921 crore till November-end 2014 and said they were also encouraging other groups to repay loans taken by them in time to avail the interest benefit being extended by the government. The interest benefit would be directly credited to the bank accounts of groups that had promptly repaid loans, Mr. Murali said.
