Telangana Minister for IT, Panachayat Raj and Rural Development K.T. Rama Rao stated that the government has plans to spend Rs. 642 crore in 150 mandals that are most backward over the next five years for improving livelihood and human development indices (HDI) under the Telangana Palle Pragathi programme.
It was often dubbed that welfare and development schemes such as ‘Aasara’ and restoration of minor irrigation tanks were the only indicators of progress, but there was more to measure HDI, the Minister said. Providing marketing facility, sharing market knowledge and ensuring remunerative price to agriculture produce were also part of the larger development indicators.
Speaking after releasing the annual diary of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Employees’ Association here on Friday, Mr. Rao said the credit for mobilising and organising women during the last 14 years would go to SERP alone. However, the organisation did not publicise its efforts properly, he felt. He suggested the SERP to set up a centre of excellence by documenting its best practices in different fields to inspire line departments and act as a model to other departments.
Chief executive officer of SERP A. Murali stated that there were 47.42 lakh women in about 4.17 lakh self help groups in the State and about 20 lakh poor families were getting Rs. 3,000 crore financial linkage through banks and Streenidhi federation. In farming, 11.2 lakh farmers were getting benefited with sustainable agriculture in 20.4 lakh acres, he said.
He explained that about 37.5 lakh families in 10,621 villages were expected to get benefited under the Palle Pragathi scheme.
To spend Rs. 642 crore under Telangana Palle Pragathi programme
