The Andhra Pradesh government will facilitate Rs 1 lakh crore bank loans to self-help group (SHG) women members by 2014 to bring 10 million families out of poverty, chief minister K Rosaiah told a group of women representatives and SHG members, who called on him on the occasion of Women’s Day on Monday.
Directing minister of rural development Vatti Vasanta Kumar to identify a team of officers to prepare an action plan to achieve the goal of making SHG women in the state as lakhiers, Rosaiah said many states were studying the ‘YSR Abhaya Hastham’ scheme – a co-contributory pension and insurance initiative for SHG women in the age group of 18 and above – and wanted to replicate in their states.
“Even the Centre is planning to launch a similar scheme after an in-depth study and working out the financial commitments,” he said in a release, adding that Andhra Pradesh tops in the women SHG groups and also in its activities. There are over 10 million women in 933,000 SHGs spread across the state. About 90 per cent of the rural poor households in the state are organised into SHGs.
Rosaiah said Rs 21,818.50 crore had been extended as bank loans to women SHGs during the last five years. “The target of bank loans during the current financial year is Rs 9,000 crore,” he said.