YS Jagan releases Rs 6,419 cr for YSR Aasara, refrains from political rhetoric

DENDULURU: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday released Rs.6,419.89 crore benefiting 78.94 lakh women under the third tranche of YSR Aasara besides virtually laying foundation stones for several developmental activities. In what appears to be a conscious move, the Chief Minister focussed solely on development in his speech and refrained from making any political comments.

Distribution of Aasara funds to the beneficiaries across the State will continue for 10 days. Releasing the amount with the click of a button here, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Government would continue to work for the empowerment of women in education, social, economic and political spheres.

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He said that the Government had so far distributed Rs 19,178 crores to self-help groups of women as part of the promise made to them in February 2019 during his Padayatra. The YSR Aasara is being implemented to help the women stand on their own following his assurance to write off their bank loans that stood at Rs 25,516crores as on March 31, 2019. The State Government distributed Rs 12,758.28 crores in the first two tranches of YSR Aasara towards the repayment of the bank loans of women’s self-help groups.

He observed that the Government had so far spent Rs 2,25,000 crores for the welfare of women in the last 45 months through various welfare schemes like Amma Vodi, YSR Aasara, Cheyuta, Kapu Nestam, EBC Nestam, Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena. He added that 9,86,616 women have so far been able to launch their own business units like provision stores, poultry farms, food processing units, vegetables shops, cloth stores and dairy farms with the financial assistance provided under the YSR Aasara.

While the Government has entered into MoUs with the corporate companies like the L&T, Reliance, PG, ITC, Amul and Mahindra to guide the self-help groups of women in turning entrepreneurs, it has also made the banks reduce the interest rate to 7 to 9 percent from the earlier 13 percent, he said, adding that negotiations were on with the banks to reduce it further.

Calling the Government women-centric, the Chief Minister said that while the zero-interest scheme was dissolved by the earlier TDP rule, the present YSRCP Government had to pay Rs.3,615 crore for reviving it. After the YSRCP came to power, banks advanced Rs 3,036 crore as zero-interest loans to the self-groups afresh.

He said that the Government’s efforts to strive for the economic empowerment of women were yielding expected results as the loan recovery from self-help groups had reached 99.55 per cent. Women in the State have become role-models for the women’s groups in other states and other State Governments are observing the systems being adopted here, YS Jagan claimed.

“Ours is the only Government in the country which came up with an Act to allot 50 percent of the nominated posts to women in trust boards of temples, Corporations and ZPTCs,” he observed, saying that the Government was according utmost priority to the safety of women. Disha App has been downloaded by 1.17 crore women and 26,000 women have so far benefited from it, he said.

The Chief Minister virtually laid the foundation stones for the Rs 68.85 crore lift irrigation-cum-drinking water project at Jagannadhapuram in Pedavegi Mandalam for supplying drinking water to 42 villages; for the Rs 18.33 crore worth check dam and double lane bridge at Balive village in Musunur Mandal and for a Rs 2.78 crore 30-bedded PHC at Vijayarai village.

Deputy Chief Minister (Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) B Mutyala Naidu, Denduluru MLA K Abbaiah Choudary and Eluru District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh also spoke on this occasion.