Hyderabad: The Telangana government has launched a new scheme to support women’s groups in the state, where women can become bus owners and earn a monthly income.
Under the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), the government programme is providing a total of 600 buses to women’s self-help groups (SHGs).
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) pays Rs 69,648 per month per bus. Out of which Rs 19,648 goes to the operational expenditure and Rs 50,000 to loan repayment, benefitting the women’s groups.
This ensures the women’s groups involved have a stable income for 7 years, without risks or running costs, the government said.
In Phase I, 151 women’s groups across 17 districts have received the buses. Phase II will involve the procurement of 449 buses.
The scheme aims to enable rural women to become asset owners while improving their financial independence.
With free bus travel under the Maha Lakshmi Scheme, it will help ensure more buses reach rural areas. The move also assists the RTC to rely less on private buses and more on women-owned ones.
The cost of each bus is Rs 36 lakhs, where the women’s groups contribute Rs 6 lakhs and the remaining Rs 30 lakhs is provided as Community Investment Fund (CIF).
The buses, owned by women, are operated by TGSRTC.
According to a statement released by the government, the scheme has already provided Rs 5 crore to women’s groups across the state.
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