Yatra Naryastu Pujyanthe – Ramante Tatra Devtah” … Where women are respected, the gods are worshipped. Women are very important in Indian culture. The realization of the dream of Nava Bharat will be incomplete without women being empowered to make up half of the population. Thus, the government has taken many programs for women empowerment. It has implemented many schemes that are not available anywhere in the country. Self Help Groups (SHGs) for Women Development, Arogya Lakshmi, Kalyana Lakshmi, She Teams for Women’s protection, Bharosa Kendras, thus implementing many development and welfare schemes, is at the forefront of women’s empowerment in the State. NITI Aayog also praised the state government.
Self Help Groups
Today, women influence education, science and politics. It expands in all fields like business, sports etc. Recognizing these facts, the Telangana state government is undertaking and implementing many programs for the comprehensive development of women in the state. As a part of that, women’s self-help groups have been formed across the state with the aim of making women a united force.
To utilize the latent power of women in Telangana state, the state government has established women’s self help societies in urban as well as rural areas. The main objective in the formation of the societies is to strengthen the family financially by directing women towards savings and at the same time towards financial discipline training.
Self Help Groups (SHG) play an important role in women empowerment. to SHGs by facilitating bank linkages. 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 1,458.97 crore has been provided to 18,680 SHGs in urban areas.
There are four and a half lakh women self help societies in the rural areas of the state. These societies have 46,66,523 members. Six months after the self help societies are started, they are given the necessary loans by the bank for their employment. The self-employment opportunities of many have improved with the loans taken by women’s associations in the villages.
While there were 3,60,311 Self Help Societies in the state before the formation of Telangana State, 76,321 Self Help Societies were formed in the last eight years after the formation of Telangana. There are currently 4,36,512 Women Self Help Societies in the state and rural areas. Loans taken by women’s associations in villages have improved the self-employment opportunities of many women. 32 district federations have been formed in the state to implement the programme. There are 553 Mandal Samakhyas and 17,954 Gram Samakhyas functioning in the state.
Formation of 4,36,512 women self help societies out of 46,66,523 members in rural areas of Telangana state. 56,000 crore bank linkage to women SHGs in rural areas from 2014-15 to 2021-22. A target of Rs 15,000 crore bank linkage has been set for women SHGs through SERP in the financial year 2022-23. Serp has entered into an agreement with Flipkart to provide wide marketing opportunities for the products of rural women’s self-help groups in the state in the country and abroad.
She-Teams for Women’s Safety:
After the inception of Telangana state, the state government led by Chief Minister Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao gave utmost priority to women’s safety and care. As a part of this, for the first time in the country, the “Women Safety Wing” has been specially established under the authority of the Additional Director General of Police and taken steps to increase the self-confidence of women.
In this women security department, She Teams, Bharosa, She Bharosa Cyber Lab, Prevention of Human Trafficking along with Operation Smile, Muskan have been introduced and implemented effectively. It has provided an opportunity for women to complain either directly or indirectly at Bharosa Kendras on various problems faced by women. As part of this, a total of 5145 complaints were received in the year 2021 and resolved efficiently.
6 Bharosa Kendras have been set up in the state to provide counseling to women on various problems faced by them in the society. These assurance centers established in Hyderabad, Vikarabad, Warangal, Sangareddy, Nalgonda and Suryapet are running successfully. In addition to these, the police department will take steps to establish new police stations in Medchal, Malkazgiri, Medak, Khammam and Karimnagar districts. Similarly, arrangements have been made in Hyderabad Old Basti, Cyberabad and Rachakonda Police Commissionerates.
Kalyana Lakshmi/Shadimubarak Scheme:
With an aim to curb child marriages, the Telangana government has aimed to provide financial assistance to brides belonging to SC, ST and minority families under the Kalyana Lakshmi/Shadeemubarak scheme. The ‘Kalyana Lakshmi/Shadi Mubarak’ scheme was introduced as part of the measures to provide relief from financial burden. The Telangana government has implemented the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme with the good intention that women should not become a burden on the family. So that the bride’s marriage takes place without any trouble. Under this scheme, financial assistance to the bride at the time of marriage is transferred to the bank account of the bride’s mother. 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. Moreover, the income of parents of girls should not exceed Rs.2 lakhs per annum. Applicants for Kalyana Lakshmi can apply online at the official website https://telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in/. Bride can apply for this scheme at Meeseva Kendras a month before their marriage.
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. Through this scheme, brides belonging to SC, ST and minority families assisted Rs. 10 thousand crores of financial assistance by the government.
• K.C.R.Kit scheme for maternal and child health care
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is giving utmost priority to the health care of women and children as part of the construction of health Telangana. The government is strongly implementing the KCR Kit scheme to overcome the nutritional and immunization deficiencies that are hindering the future generations to grow up healthy. The government’s aim is to significantly increase the number of deliveries in government hospitals to curb unnecessary caesarean deliveries that are harming women’s health.
It is also the government’s intention to reduce maternal and child mortality. To achieve such lofty goals. Telangana state got special recognition in health indicators with kit scheme. The government is providing financial assistance of Rs.12,000/- for a male child born in a government hospital and Rs.13,000/- for a female child in four installments. The government provides free of charge all kinds of medical tests and immunization vaccinations required by the mother and child from the time of conception to the post-natal period. The KCR Kit Scheme was launched on 2nd June 2017 by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
The main objective of KCR Kit is to increase birth rates, reduce maternal mortality and infant mortality in government hospitals. The doctors and staff of the respective areas are regularly monitoring to provide hassle-free government medical care to pregnant women even after delivery. The scheme is limited to two surviving children only.
However, from August 2, 2018, K.C.R. The government has made some exceptions to the kit rules. As per the regulations implemented, the benefits of KCR KIT are being applied to the special tribal groups (PVTGs) like Chenchu, Kolam, Konda Reddys beyond the 2nd child. Government medical staff are providing free vaccinations and vitamins to the pregnant women registered under this scheme. 13,29,951 people have been benefited under KCR Kit since 2017 till date. For the implementation of the KCR Kit scheme, the government has allocated Rs. 1176 crores 54 lakhs has been spent by the government. The government has distributed 11,82,014 KCR kits at a cost of Rs.243 crores 68 lakhs. In each kit, the government provides 15 types of items required for the health care of babies.
