Unprecedented priority to women welfare in AP: Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy

Tadepalli: The State government has been giving unprecedented priority for women in all the sectors, stated Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, after presenting Mahila Sakthi awards to employment guarantee mates (women assistants) under MGNREGA at Panchayat Raj office here on Wednesday.

PR&RD Principal Secretary Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, Commissioner Kona Sasidhar, Special Commissioner Santhipriya Pandey and Chief Finance Officer Shyamala and others participated in the programme.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that AP is the only State in the country where 100% employment guarantee mates are women. He recalled that last year the State bagged three Skoch awards and this year the State secured first place in Skoch awards led by the rural development department.

Minister Ramachandra Reddy said that the State government was committed to empower women. The benefits are directly credited into the accounts of women in all the welfare and financial schemes, he pointed out.

The Minister exhorted women to become financial power for their families to provide good education and medical facilities to the children. Under NREGA, 64 lakh were women out of 91 lakh job cards. Last year, they have undertaken 25.92 crore workdays and this year they have already completed 22 crore workdays, he informed.

The mates should take initiative to complete 24 crore workdays by the end of March, the Minister said.