Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has handed over 553 buses to women’s self-help groups as part of the Mahila Shakti scheme, which aims to empower women. These buses, to be operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC), are expected to generate a monthly income of Rs 70,000 for each self-help group. The handover took place at an event in Secunderabad’s Parade Grounds amidst heavy rainfall, marking a significant step in women’s empowerment efforts.
As part of the Mahila Shakti and Mahalakshmi schemes, the Chief Minister distributed cheques totaling Rs 20.34 crore as rent for the buses provided to TGSRTC, along with Rs 10,700 crore saved through the free travel scheme and Rs 500 crore under the interest-free loan scheme. He also announced plans to hand over an additional 3,000 buses to TGSRTC through women’s self-help groups on a rental basis in the near future.
CM Revanth Reddy emphasized the government’s commitment to women’s economic empowerment, highlighting the provision of Rs 61,000 crore in bank linkages to self-help groups and Rs 2,000 crore paid to banks under the zero-interest scheme. He pledged to continue efforts until a million women become millionaires, aiming to increase the current 67 lakh self-help group members in the state to one crore.
