KCR Govt giving top priority to woman empowerment: Errabelli

Warangal: The State government is giving top priority to women empowerment, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao said. Speaking at a programme organised by the Errabelli Dayakar Rao Charitable Trust in the run up to International Women's Day (March 8) at Thorrur in Mahabubabad district on Sunday, he said that the best measure of a nation's progress is the way it treats its women. "The women should have the right to financial independence. Women's economic empowerment boosts productivity and increases economic diversification," Errabelli said.

He said that the State strengthened self-help groups by providing a whopping Rs 18,000 crore loans through Stri Nidhi. "In a bid to empower women, the State Government had provided 50 reservations in the local bodies and market committees. For the first time, women took top posts - mayors and deputy mayors - of the GHMC and GWMC," Errabelli said.

"The tailoring scheme initiated in Palakurthi constituency is the first of its kind in the State. As many as 3,000 women will be trained in tailoring. The programme is jointly funded (Rs 5 crore) by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Stree Nidhi. All the credit goes to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," Errabelli said.

Errabelli said that MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao will distribute sewing machines and certificates to 500 women who completed training tailoring at Thorrur on March 8. Speaking on the occasion, Errabelli Trust chairperson Usha Dayakar Rao said that women empowerment indicates the growth of a country's economy. She said that women have plenty of opportunities in the KCR Government. "For centuries, women have faced challenges and hurdles and it's time for them to show their prowess and emerge stronger,' Usha said. A large number of women participated in the programme.