The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : New scheme to empower women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

New scheme to empower women

Correspondent

Kakinada: As a part of the women empowerment programme enabling them to take up income-generating activity, as many as 5,000 milch cattle, procured from other states, especially from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, will be supplied to them during the current year.

The scheme, known as the ‘Chief Minister’s Pasu Kranti Pathakam’, is slated to be launched here also along with other selected districts on September 1.

Unlike in the past, the scheme now carries a 50 per cent subsidy and the balance is the bank loan component.

Originally, it has been proposed to supply only 4,000 milch cattle but later revised it to 5,000 following representations made by local people during the recent visit of the Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development. Under the scheme spread over two years, 5,000 milch cattle, both buffalos and cows, will be supplied to beneficiaries every year.

The cost of each unit is limited to Rs.30,000 and already the process of inviting central tenders is on and expected to be finalised within a few days.

“The scheme is really a boon to SHG women. Not only supplying of the high milk yielding cattle, the beneficiaries will be arranged the required market tie-up with the major dairy units, assuring them of regular income,” according to T. Reddi Rao, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry.

He told The Hindu on Tuesday that selection of beneficiaries would be done by the DRDA and bankers would extend the loan, while Collector would release the subsidy portion. He said teams consisting of beneficiaries, officials of the department, DRDA and bankers would select the milch cattle that yields eight to 10 litres of milk daily and the cattle would be delivered at the mandal headquarters concerned by contractors.

Allotment procedure

The allotment of cattle to beneficiaries would be done by conducting lottery. The cost of the milch cattle would be decided on the milk yield. The necessary GO Ms No: 72 was issued on August 22.

Mr. Reddi Rao said that the department would identify the cluster of villages for setting up of bulk milk collection centres by the Godavari Dairy that promised to procure milk from all beneficiaries.

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