10 Years of Telangana: Women and child care, a fabled feather in KCR’s welfare regime

HYDERABAD: Leaders across the globe, who cared for women and children, protected the girl child, ensured women’s safety and enhanced their dignity, have transformed their regions into the most prosperous societies. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is one of those leaders who made this possible with steadfast commitment to all-encompassing development. Monumental work done in the form of some novel schemes is one of the contributing factors for the rapid strides made by Telangana, the youngest state in India, in the last nine years of its own existence.

Living up to KCR’s reputation as a visionary and a man of deeds, the State government has been safeguarding the girl child, right from its foetal stage. It is implementing significant schemes that would take care of the girl child at every stage of her life and address various needs, from birth, health, welfare, education and marriage to ensure her empowerment.

A slew of welfare schemes and development programmes are being implemented aiming to uplift women, empower them and enhance their dignity. The KCR Kit and KCR Nutrition Kit schemes being implemented in Telangana are a direct proof that women’s welfare is flourishing in the state of Telangana today. Financial assistance to Self Help Groups (SHGS), implementation of Kalyana Lakshmi scheme, establishment of SHE teams and WE Hub sum up the KCR government’s initiatives in Telangana towards ensuring welfare and empowerment of women. These programmes were appreciated by different organisations, especially NITI Aayog, for prioritizing women’s health and well-being.

KCR kit

The Telangana government is implementing the KCR kit scheme from June 2, 2017. It provides adequate financial assistance to women who give birth in government hospitals and provides free essential items to the new mothers and their infants. Through this scheme, aimed at the welfare of pregnant women and infants, those who are eligible will get a total of Rs 12,000 provided by the State government. If they give birth to a girl child, the government is providing another Rs 1,000 plus Rs 13,000 as an incentive.

Through this scheme, the percentage of deliveries in government hospitals has increased. More hearteningly, there is significant fall in Infant mortality rate in the state. The malady of foeticide has been preempted. Under the KCR kit scheme, apart from financial assistance, a kit containing 14 essential items for the healthcare of the new mothers and their babies is being provided after delivery. So far, the government has provided financial assistance to 13,90,636 women through KCR kits along with a cash incentive of Rs 1,261.67. The Government has spent Rs 67 crores so far for the scheme.

KCR nutrition kits for pregnant women

The Telangana government, which is giving importance to maternal and child care, has launched another revolutionary scheme to control anemia and malnutrition among pregnant women. The Telangana government led by KCR has designed the scheme of nutrition kits for pregnant women at a cost of Rs 50 crores.

As per the Chief Minister’s orders, the government is distributing nutrition kits in 231 government health centers in nine districts from December 21, 2022. The government is distributing these kits in nine districts where anemia is most affected. These districts are Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mulugu, Nagar Kurnool and Vikarabad. For each kit, the State government is spending Rs 1,962.

These kits are given once during the second ANC checkup between 13-27 weeks and a second time during the third ANC checkup between 28-34 weeks. The nutrition kit contains nutrition mix powder, dates, 3 bottles of iron syrup, 500 grams of ghee, albendazole tablet, cup and plastic baskets. There is no other state in the country except Telangana where this type of scheme is being implemented to prevent anemia.

KCR Nutrition Kits have become a godsend for pregnant women. The distribution of nutrition kits will be started in all Assembly constituency centers in the remaining 24 districts on the Health Day organized on the occasion of Telangana Dasabdi Utsavam. With this, approximately 6.84 lakh pregnant women across the state will receive KCR Nutrition Kits.

Assistance to SHGs

Self Help Groups (SHGs) play an important role in women empowerment and facilitating bank linkages has instilled new confidence among many women, besides promoting entrepreneurship skills. In rural areas, the amount disbursed to SHGs has tripled from Rs 3,738.67 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 12,684.59 crore by 2022-23.

So far, Rs 1,458.97 crore have been distributed to 18,680 SHGs in urban areas. There are 4.31 lakh SHGs across the State with over 46 lakh members. Telangana government has accorded top priority for extending interest-free loans to SHGs.

Before the formation of the State, the successive governments had extended interest-free loans worth Rs 21,978 crore . After the Telangana government came to power, in the last eight years, loans worth Rs 66,624 crore were given to the SHGs.

Aasara Pension Scheme

Telangana Government, with a novel intention of ensuring poor lives with dignity and financial security, launched the Aasara Pension in November 2014. In the past, the eligibility age for obtaining pensions under the scheme was fixed at 65 years. The eligibility age has now been cut down to 57 years by the State Government and accordingly the total number of pensioners under the scheme increased to 45.80 lakh.

Telangana is perhaps the only State, which is extending Aasara pensions to elderly, differently-abled, widows, single women, HIV infected, filaria infected (Grade 2-3), handloom weavers, toddy tappers and Beedi workers.

No other States in the country are extending pensions in such a quantum and to people from diverse sections of the society. Further, to ensure transparency and rule out the role of middlemen, the pension is being directly deposited into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Again, this practice is in vogue only in Telangana.

Amma Vodi

The Telangana government has provided 300 vehicles to provide transport services to pregnant women and babies going to the clinics for check-ups. The state government has taken the initiative to reduce the cost of money to the families and provide safe deliveries. A healthy journey boosts immunity in mothers and babies. As many as 18,46,635 people have been benefited till May 2023 through this scheme. For this, Rs. 172.08 crore was spent.

Arogya Lakshmi

Through this scheme, pregnant and lactating mothers in Anganwadi are provided hot nutritious mid-day meals as spot feeding. Rice, dal (sambar with lentils, green vegetables, vegetables) and boiled egg are provided to all pregnant women and lactating mothers for at least 25 days at the Anganwadi centres.

From 2014 to May 2023, 36,26,603 pregnant women and lactating mothers were extended the benefit. “Arogya Lakshmi App” will monitor daily attendance, services of pregnant women, lactating mothers and track their health status.

By the time Telangana came into being, only 56 percent Anganwadi centres were providing nutritious food. Now, through Arogya Lakshmi scheme, the government is providing nutritious food with milk and eggs to pregnant women and lactating mothers through Angan wadis at 100 percent Anganwadi centers.

NITI Aayog has praised the implementation of Arogya Lakshmi scheme for women’s health care. For effective implementation of this scheme across the state, 2,356 posts of AnganWadi workers, which have been lying vacant for a long time, have been filled up and 568 new supervisors have been appointed.

Balamrutham Plus

Balamrutham Plus is providing good fortified food to poor children between six months to five years of age to prevent malnutrition. As a result, the children overcome malnutrition at an early age. A new plant constructed at Telangana Foods with a production capacity of 2,500 metric tonnes per month will supply Bala Amrutha to 35,700 AnganWadi centers across the state.

Arogya Mahila

In order to provide treatment to women suffering from various health issues, and refuse to consult male doctors, the state government launched Arogya Mahila, wherein eight types of services would be undertaken.

According to the scheme, every Tuesday, the identified clinics would stay open exclusively to women and will be attended only by women doctors, ANMs, and lab technicians.

Besides giving treatment, medicines would be given and tests would be conducted free of cost in addition to referring patients (those in need of intense diagnosis or treatment) to the district headquarters hospital for further treatment including surgeries.

Anganwadi and Asha workers’ remuneration increased

The Telangana government is paying Rs 13,650 per month to Anganwadi teachers unlike any other state in the country. Compared to Telangana, it is noteworthy that only Rs 7,000 in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 7,500 in Rajasthan and Rs 8,325 in Maharashtra are paid as monthly wages. Similarly, the state government has increased the remuneration of Asha workers from Rs 2,000 to Rs 9,750 in 2014. Asha workers are paid Rs 3,000 in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Rs 6,700 in Gujarat, Rs 4,000 in Karnataka and Haryana, and Rs 5,000 in Kerala.

Kalyana Lakshmi/Shaadi Mubarak Scheme

The Telangana government, to control child marriages and extend financial assistance to SC, ST and minority families to perform marriages of their children, launched the Kalyana Lakshmi or Shadi Mubarak scheme.

Women above 18 years of age can apply for financial assistance for their wedding expenses. After the implementation of this scheme, not only the percentage of child marriages decreased but also women’s literacy improved.

Till January 2023, a total of 2.4 lakh SC, 1.5 lakh ST, 5.9 lakh BC and 2.4 lakh minority families have benefited under the scheme. Through this scheme, brides belonging to SC, ST and minority families received about Rs 10,000 crores of financial assistance from the government.

SHE-Teams for women’s safety

Emphasizing on women’s safety, the State government for the first time in the country established the Women Safety Wing led by an Additional Director General of Police and took steps to increase the self-confidence of women.

As part of this, SHE Teams, Bharosa Centre, SHE Bharosa Cyber Lab, Prevention of Human Trafficking along with Operation Smile, Muskan too were introduced and were being implemented effectively.

Women can lodge complaints either directly or indirectly at the six Bharosa Centres, including Hyderabad, Vikarabad, Warangal, Sangareddy, Nalgonda and Suryapet.

In addition to these, the police department is initiating measures to set up more centres in Medchal Malkajgiri, Medak, Khammam and Karimnagar districts apart from in the Old City and in the Cyberabad and Rachakonda Police Commissionerates.

SHE Cabs

In another step to make traveling safe for women, the Telangana government launched SHE Cabs, a taxi service provided by women for women in September 2015. The cars were fitted with security features like panic button, GPS and connected to the police control room through GPS.

WE-Hub

WE-Hub is India’s first and only State led incubator for women entrepreneurs – with the primary goal to promote and foster women entrepreneurship by way of Incubation, access to Government and Building a collaborative ecosystem. Initiated as a response to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in 2017, the inception of WE-Hub was announced in November 2017 with operations from March 2018.

WE-Hub works with the mission to ensure that all women entrepreneurs in the country have access to technical, financial, governmental and policy support required to start-up, scale up, sustain and accelerate with global market access. The work of WE-HUB is primarily in the fields of providing access to technical, financial, government and policy support required to start-up, scale up and accelerate with global market access, to all women entrepreneurs in the country.

Employment, reservation in jobs, promotion

Since 2015, the KCR government has been providing 33 percent reservation for women in civil police jobs and 10 percent in armed reserve police jobs. The government has innovatively set up V-Hub to encourage women entrepreneurs with the will to grow as entrepreneurs.

The government is implementing 33 percent reservation for women in market committees. Due to this, women got an opportunity to become chairpersons. The State Government has regularized 142 Grade 2 Supervisor posts working on contract basis.