VIJAYAWADA: A Training of Trainers (TOT) session was held at the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) Head Office in Tadepalli on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the MEPMA Loan Charge Creation (MLCC) module and other schemes.
The session, directed by CM N Chandrababu Naidu and guided by Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) P Narayana, included representatives from SLBC and banks.
Principal Secretary of MA&UD S Suresh Kumar said the profiling of 2,74,873 urban Self-Help Groups (SHGs), covering 28,39,046 members (99.41%), has been completed through the SHG Profiling App.
The data, now Aadhaar-linked, aims to streamline loan verification, minimise fraud, and expedite disbursement via the MLCC module. MEPMA Mission Director N Tej Bharat announced that from June 1, SHG loans in urban areas will be processed solely through the MLCC app, replacing the traditional physical process.
Of the 2,631 bank branches in the state, 2,066 have been provided with login credentials. Bharat said the digital shift would curb fund misuse and reduce loan defaults.
He outlined a plan to foster 30,000 urban women entrepreneurs — 10,000 through advanced training and 20,000 as new entrants — urging banks to support women-led ventures.
Concerns were raised over some banks denying SHGs the right to withdraw savings for internal lending, a core SHG practice. Officials pressed banks to permit such withdrawals.
New initiatives including Rapido, Trupti Hotels, Smart Street, and green livelihoods were also introduced, with a call for bank support in loan facilitation.