Hyderabad, June 9: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday handed over 553 buses to women self-help groups under the Mahila Shakti scheme, aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment in the state.
State-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) will hire the buses from the women’s self-help groups. Officials said each group is expected to earn a monthly income of around ₹70,000 through the arrangement.
The bus handover ceremony was held at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, even as heavy rains lashed parts of the city. The programme was organised under the government’s ‘Praja Palana – Pragati Pranalika’ initiative focused on women empowerment.
Financial support and schemes announced
During the event, the Chief Minister also distributed cheques to self-help groups and Mandal Mahila Samakhyas, including:
- ₹20.34 crore towards bus rental payments to SHGs
- ₹10,700 crore savings under the free travel scheme
- ₹500 crore under the interest-free loan scheme
He said the government has already extended ₹61,000 crore in bank linkages to self-help groups and paid ₹2,000 crore in interest subsidies.
Plans to expand Mahila Shakti initiative
Revanth Reddy announced that the government plans to hand over another 3,000 buses to SHGs in the coming days.
He also said the state aims to scale up women SHG membership from 67 lakh to one crore, adding that transforming them into “crorepatis” is the government’s goal.
Women at the centre of welfare and governance model
The Chief Minister said women are playing a key role in the state’s welfare and development programmes, citing initiatives such as:
- Indiramma housing scheme (houses in women’s names)
- Free RTC bus travel scheme for women (₹10,000+ crore support to RTC)
- Amma Adarsha Pathashala scheme (women managing 27,000 schools)
- Operation of Mahila Shakti canteens and petrol bunks
He also alleged that opposition parties were attempting to obstruct the government’s women empowerment initiatives.
Revanth Reddy said the government remains committed to expanding opportunities for women and strengthening their role in the state’s economic growth.
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