Hyderabad, 28 September (H.S.): Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday inaugurated an Indira Mahila Shakti canteen near Sundarayya Vignana Kendram at Bagh Lingampally in Musheerabad, aimed at providing affordable meals while creating livelihood opportunities for women's self-help groups.

Prabhakar also inaugurated an egg shop for street vendors under the Indira Mahila Shakti initiative and distributed cheques for Rs 1.20 crore in interest-free loans to women's self-help groups. School uniforms were also distributed to students.

Later, the minister laid the foundation stone for SWD drains and CC roads in Ward No. 163 at Bagh Lingampally. The works are estimated to cost Rs 1.5 crore.

Speaking at the programme, Prabhakar said the Telangana government was establishing Indira Mahila Shakti canteens through women's self-help groups in line with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's vision of promoting women's economic empowerment. The canteens will provide meals to poor and working-class people in Hyderabad at Rs 5 while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for women, he said.

He said the government was providing infrastructure and developing the canteens as permanent facilities with necessary amenities. He also urged more women from rural and urban areas to join self-help groups and make use of government schemes.

Prabhakar said the government had increased the interest-free loan limit for women's groups from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and had been paying the interest on such loans for the past three years. He said women's livelihood opportunities were also being expanded through solar power projects and other initiatives.

The minister said the government had launched a programme under which RTC buses were being provided to women's self-help groups in rural areas. So far, women had become owners of 600 buses under the programme, he said. The government was also considering extending the initiative to urban areas and had directed officials to prepare proposals to identify eligible women's groups in Hyderabad with full repayment capacity.

He said sewing machines and training were also being provided to BC and minority women to create employment opportunities. The government was taking steps to provide modern sewing machines and training to women in every constituency and urged eligible women to apply by September 30.

Prabhakar said the government was implementing interest-free loans, skill training, livelihood programmes, canteens, bus ownership and other initiatives to strengthen women's self-help groups and promote economic self-reliance.

Rajya Sabha member M Anil Kumar Yadav, GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan, senior officials and other public representatives attended the programme.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar