Financial independence holds the key to women’s empowerment, says Tirupati Collector

Financial independence, at the domestic front and at societal level, is key to ensuring women’s empowerment, said Tirupati District Collector S. Venkateswar at the International Women’s Day celebrations held at SPMVV auditorium on Sunday.

Participating alongside MLA Arani Srinivasulu and Tirupati Municipal Corporation Commissioner N. Mourya, the the Collector explained how financial independence is on par with happiness and health.

He highlighted that the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, empowers rural women of Self Help Groups (SHG) to achieve an annual household income of ₹1 lakh, and added that the Tirupati district has more than 1.60 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’, pointing to the revenue options generated by MEPMA, DRDA and other agencies.

The district administration has sanctioned financial assistance of ₹2,600 crore over the last 11 months to 14,600 SHGs, having a collective strength of 2 lakh women members. Similarly, 10.88 lakh families are benefitting from gas cylinders under the ‘Deepam scheme’.

TTD trust board member G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, former MP Panabaka Lakshmi, Deputy Mayor R.C. Munikrishna, AP Handicrafts Development Corporation Chairman P. Hariprasad and AP Yadava Welfare Corporation Chairman G. Narasimha Yadav participated in the event.