Telangana government has implemented schemes for empowerment of women, including petrol pumps managed by Self Help Group members.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Amidst issues in supply-chain pertaining to grains procurement and rising cost of essential items, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday (May 25, 2026) assured support to women self help groups (SHGs) in setting up logistics parks, godowns and super markets, which will be beneficial to farmers and consumers.
This is another attempt of the State government towards women empowerment. In the past, free bus travel, promotion of solar power generation, entrusting operation and maintenance of petrol pumps and other schemes were implemented by the government.
The Chief Minister has announced the Government’s intentions to promote “Indira Mahila Shakti Super Bazaars”, super markets to be operated by SHGs to sell quality commodities at reasonable prices.
Bank linkages to set up super bazaars
He announced that the State will create a corpus fund for the purpose and provide its share of investment in setting up of these super markets. The SHGs could contribute their share and take share in the profits accordingly. Steps would be taken to ensure bank linkages for the SHGs coming forward to set up super bazaars. “Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will speak to the State level bankers committee. I will speak to them if need be to arrange for financial support,” he said favouring that super markets operated by SHGs could be set up in all the 119 assembly constituencies to begin with and they could be expanded to mandal level subsequently.
Infra in urban areas at nominal prices
The Government would provide infrastructure required in urban areas at nominal prices. “All that women should do is to promote their brands strictly maintaining the quality standards,” he said.
8,000 SHG buildings
The Chief Minister mooted the proposal at a meeting to lay foundation stone 8,000 buildings exclusively dedicated for SHGs activities and launch of new design for sarees that would be distributed free of cost to SHG women. This was the first of its kind initiative in the country where SHGs will have their own premises to conduct their businesses without depending on others like Panchayat Raj offices or premises.
He elaborated on the initiatives launched by the Congress Government since it took over the reins fulfilling the commitment of ensuring ₹1 lakh crore loans through bank linkages and exhorted SHG women to take a plunge into logistics including construction of godowns for storing food grains. The SHGs could also consider setting up rice mills as the Government would be assured that there would not be scope for any irregularities if they ventured into the field. “SHG women can set up at least two to four logistic parks/godowns in each mandal,” he said.
SHG women were already into cultivation and procurement of food grain through Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) centres while they form the consumers of the products sold by super markets in the private sectors. “They can be involved in marketing of their produce so that consumers are assured to quality products at reasonable prices,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government was facing problems related to transport and storage of the food grain purchased from farmers as millers and middlemen were not living up to expectations. “We need not approach them if women take the initiative of developing logistics parks/godowns,” he said adding the government was prepared to provide the land required besides development of infrastructure in setting up these parks and godowns.
₹60,472 crore loans provided by banks
He directed the district collectors to prepare comprehensive reports/proposals in this direction roping in experts for their recommendations so that the government could take the initiative forward. Referring to bank linkages, he said the Congress government was committed to fulfil its assurance of providing ₹1 lakh crore loans through bank linkages to SHGs. Loans to the tune of ₹60,472 crore had already been provided by the banks in 29 months and the quantum could exceed ₹1.25 lakh crore by the end of the five year tenure of the current government, Mr. Bhatti Vikaramarka said earlier. “We are committed to make one crore women millionaires,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government would fulfil its promise of making women millionaires by 2034 as women would bring back the government after the next elections.
Published – May 25, 2026 06:10 pm IST
