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VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday reiterated the government’s strong commitment to women’s empowerment and economic advancement.Conducting a review meeting with officials of the SERP (society for elimination of rural poverty) and MEPMA (mission for elimination of poverty in municipal areas) departments at the Secretariat, he directed the officials to harness every opportunity for women’s development and entrepreneurship across various sectors. Naidu launched the MEPMA Mana Mitra mobile app designed to provide eight key services to its target groups. He also unveiled the mission’s annual magazine Avaani and the Pragnya virtual training app for women self-help groups. The chief minister felicitated a Mangalagiri entrepreneur Madhuri who availed a `1.25 crore bank loan for her enterprise. Emphasizing the financial discipline and success of DWCRA (development of women and children in rural areas programme), the chief minister noted that the groups collectively saved `20,739 crore, and accessed double that amount through bank linkages. “There’s no other network with such scale and credit discipline. Over 99 per cent of women repay their loans promptly. We must now guide them towards entrepreneurship by identifying and nurturing their talent,” he said. Naidu suggested appointing fund managers to assist self-help groups in effectively utilising their credit and urged officials to facilitate quick loan disbursals. “Bankers say loans can be cleared within hours. Ensure this happens on the ground,” he asked the officials. The chief minister called for expanding the marketing networks and creating international branding for DWCRA and MEPMA products. To boost sustainable business models, Naidu proposed setting up Araku Coffee and Millet outlets across the state, designed on the lines of Starbucks. “Create these outlets as a brand that reflects Andhra Pradesh’s identity. Explore cluster-based production and experiment with millet carts, aqua carts and drone services,” he said. Naidu said the government plans to establish 100 product clusters across sectors such as MSMEs, food processing, aqua, tourism and handicrafts. He also encouraged studies on Maharashtra’s bamboo mission to explore similar livelihood initiatives for DWCRA women. AP, he said, is preparing to promote seaweed culture, muringa-based products, and home-stay links with tourism ventures. “DWCRA and MEPMA women must evolve into confident business leaders. The government will fully support their journey from savings to entrepreneurship,” the CM affirmed.
