Women should make use of zero-interest loans: Ponnam Prabhakar

Minister for Transport and Hyderabad district in-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has called upon women to actively participate in government welfare programmes and utilise its schemes to become economically self-reliant.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Praja Palana – Pragathi Pranalika’ 99-day action programme in GHMC limits at Chacha Nehru Park in Masab Tank here on Friday, the Minister said the initiative was being implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to accelerate development activities from villages and wards to the State capital.

Prior to inaugurating the programme, the Minister paid floral tributes to the statue of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the park.

He said the 99-day programme would be carried out across nearly 12,000 villages, wards and municipalities in Telangana, focusing on development, community participation and social empowerment.

As part of the event, the Minister inaugurated an E-waste collection Centre, urging citizens to dispose of discarded electronic items such as televisions, refrigerators, computers and laptops at designated centres for safe recycling rather than leaving them unused at home.

A mirror library set up over 1,500 square yards was also inaugurated to encourage reading habits among local residents. A special facility has been established to enable citizens to donate books for the library.

The Minister also launched the Indira Mahila Shakti Canteen, which will be operated by women self-help groups (SHGs), providing livelihood opportunities for women.

Highlighting the State government’s commitment to women’s empowerment, Prabhakar said several welfare initiatives were being implemented, including free bus travel for women, distribution of ration cards in women’s names, supply of fine rice, and provision of up to 200 units of free electricity to eligible households.

He encouraged women to join self-help groups in greater numbers and make use of zero-interest loans provided by the government to start or expand livelihood activities. Schemes through training agencies such as SETWIN are also being implemented to enhance self-employment opportunities, including distribution of sewing machines to women.

He also urged women to actively participate in the 99-day action programme, particularly in sectors such as education, healthcare, environment and public safety, and strive to reach higher positions in society. Self-Help Groups (SHGs), along with IBM, LG, Earth Sense, Renavart, and Z Enviro Reldan organisations, set up dedicated E-waste collection kiosks at Chacha Nehru Park to facilitate the safe collection and recycling of electronic waste from citizens.

A notable highlight of the programme was the enthusiastic participation of women, many of whom attended wearing Indiramma sarees.

The event was attended by Member of Parliament Anil Kumar Yadav, MLC Balmuri Venkat, Hyderabad Grandhalaya Samatha chairman K. Upender Reddy, GHMC Commissioner R. V. Karnan, Hyderabad district  collector Harichandana Dasari, Golconda Zonal Commissioner Mukunda Reddy and additional commissioner Ravi Kiran and others were present.