Telangana govt redefining women's empowerment in state, says Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 17 : Telangana Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the Congress government in Telangana was redefining women's empowerment in the state. He claimed that a majority of schemes being implemented were focused on women's empowerment.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Nerella Sharada as the Chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women at Buddha Bhavan on Wednesday, Reddy highlighted several innovative schemes launched by the Congress Government to ensure the economic empowerment of women.
He mentioned that schemes like Mahalakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, and Indiramma Indlu had benefitted lakhs of women daily, monthly, and permanently. More than 14 lakh women were utilising the free travel service in RTC buses across Telangana daily. Under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, TGSRTC had issued nearly 55 crore zero tickets to women passengers, providing them the independence and freedom to travel.
Reddy also pointed out that cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 benefited around 40 lakh women, with each household saving over Rs 700 per month. He assured that the scheme would be fine-tuned to include more beneficiaries, ensuring every eligible woman received the benefits of the Mahalakshmi scheme, one of the six promises made by Congress before the elections.
Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, lakhs of families have been receiving free electricity for up to 200 units, empowering women by reducing their electricity expenses. Additionally, the Indiramma Indlu scheme aimed to provide houses to homeless poor families, with 4.50 lakh houses sanctioned at an outlay of Rs 22,500 crore in the first phase. These houses would be sanctioned in the name of women beneficiaries, granting them the authority to manage their families better.
Reddy pointed out that it was a woman (Sonia Gandhi) who converted the 60-year-old dream of Telangana into a reality. Therefore, women would continue to get priority in all sectors under the Congress Government.
Uttam emphasised that women played a crucial role in the Congress party's victory in the last Assembly elections. He assured that all promises made to the people would be fulfilled, and the Congress party was committed to the socio-economic empowerment of women, providing them equal opportunities for growth in all sectors. He mentioned that several schemes were in the pipeline to empower women in Telangana further.
He also criticised the previous BRS regime for neglecting women. While the Congress government, headed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, had given cabinet berths to two women, there were no women ministers in the first term of the BRS Government. He cited the example of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad, attended by Ivanka Trump, where no woman minister represented Telangana.
Uttam expressed hope that Nerella Sharada, as the new Chairperson of the Women's Commission, would play an active role in women's empowerment. He assured that the Congress Government would adopt a zero-tolerance policy regarding women's safety, ensuring that women felt safe at their workplaces, on roads, and in their homes.