VIJAYAWADA: Decrying negligence of the state government in keeping its promises made to DWCRA groups, women’s organisations, including AIDWA, NFIW, POW, APWA, AIMS and AIMSS, have decided to jointly organise a conference on ‘DWCRA Women - Unfulfilled Promises’ at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in the city on July 31.
Addressing mediapersons here Tuesday, leaders of women’s organisations, including P Durga Bhavani and D Ramadevi, recalled that during the run-up to elections, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu had made a plethora of promises, but none of them was kept even after 14 months of his coming to power.
The purpose of DWCRA was empowerment of women through thrift movement and with necessary government assistance.
However, with election promises, the system was interrupted and the entire movement had been derailed, they rued.
“The previous government had promised ‘pavala vaddi’ and ‘vaddi leni runnam,’ but the same were never implemented. Now, the TDP government promised to waive the loans of women self help groups, but not a single paisa has been waived off till date,” they said.
Citing the Kotaiah Committee Report, they stated that there were eight lakh DWCRA groups in the state with 84 lakh members and to waive off their loans, it requires Rs 15,000 crore, which the government was not in a position to bear.
“The promised Rs 1 lakh loan waiver was not implemented and now, they say that Rs 30,000 for each group will be given as seed capital to start businesses. The amount is not related to loan waiver. But, even that amount was not being properly disbursed to the groups,” they said
The unfulfilled promises of the ruling party had not just broken the back of the groups but also demoralised the members.
“Believing in the government’s promise of loan waiver, we waited for it to happen, without bothering to repay. Now, the pressure from the banks for repayment is increasing by the day. To repay loan, the groups are taking fresh loans only to get caught in the vicious debt trap. The government’s insistence on Aadhaar linkage has only made the matters worse,” the women lamented.
They also found fault with the state government’s new excise police and permissions accorded for sale of liquor in shopping malls, hybrid supermarkets and sale of liquor in tetra packs. Earlier, in the meeting, they paid homage to former President APJ Abdul Kalam who passed away on Monday.
WOMEN’S DEMANDS
Immediate loan waiver without insisting on Aadhaar linkage
Addl Rs 500 pension for ‘Abhaya Hastham’ beneficiaries
Release of scholarship amounts for the eligible
No restrictions on use of saved amount by DWCRA groups
Clearing of dues pertaining to 25 pc of revenue on sand quarries & security to women manning sand quarries
Withdrawal of new excise policy
Complete loan waiver to defaulters from SC/ST DWCRA groups