Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would release the fourth tranche of financial assistance of Rs 6,394.83 crore to benefit 78,94,169 women under the ‘YSR Aasara’ scheme at a programme in Uravakonda in Anantapur district on Tuesday. The CM will begin the process of depositing the money into the bank accounts of women from 7,98,395 SHGs under the scheme. This would take two weeks’ time.
As part of the ‘YSR Aasara’ scheme, the Chief Minister deposited Rs 6,318.76 crore to benefit 77,87,295 women in the first phase of distribution on September 11, 2020.
In the second phase, Rs 6,439.52 crore was deposited to benefit 78,75,539 women on October 7, 2021. In the third phase, the CM deposited Rs 6,417.69 crore to benefit 78.94,169 women on March 25, 2023. In the fourth phase on Tuesday, Jagan Mohan Reddy will deposit Rs 25,571 crore to benefit 78,94,169 women under the scheme.
The YSRC government so far provided a financial benefit of Rs 2,66,772.55 crore to the women alone under both the DBT and non-DBT schemes from the time it assumed power 56 months ago.
Officials said this has helped women to improve their sources of livelihood and sustain on their own. “The state government helped women to enter into tie-ups with corporate giants like Amul, Hindustan Lever, ITC, P and G, Ajio Reliance, Gramin Vikas Kendra and banks. These helped these women have financial self-sustenance by availing of schemes like YSR Aasara, Cheyutha, Sunna Vaddi, etc.
The tie-up with corporate giants and banks helped nearly 14,77,568 women set up Kirana shops, garments businesses, etc. Many have started rearing livestock and earned additional income of Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000 per month, officials said. “The tie-up with Amul even helped raise the income from milk per litre to Rs 22 from Rs 10.” Government sources claimed that the previous government failed to fulfil its promise of loan waiver and cancelled the Sunna Vaddi scheme in October 2016.
As a result, the women paid nearly Rs 3,036 crore as a penalty to the banks while SHGs in ‘A’ and ‘B’ grades slipped to ‘C’ and ‘D’ grades.