Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Saturday announced a major initiative to promote the economic empowerment of women’s self-help groups (SHGs). Marking Rakhi Pournami, he said the government will allocate four acres of government land to each women’s group for setting up solar power plants.
Under the scheme, the state aims to establish solar power generation capacity of 4,000 MW, with 1,000 MW to be produced by women’s groups. The cost of setting up a 1 MW plant is estimated at Rs 3 crore, of which SHGs will contribute 10%, while the remaining 90% will be financed through bank loans. The government noted that women’s groups maintain a 99% loan repayment record, prompting banks to extend support. Land from the Endowments, Revenue, and Irrigation departments will be utilised for the project. Each 1 MW plant is expected to generate an annual income of around ₹30 lakh for the SHGs through electricity sales.
In a separate development, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) announced special bus services to meet the increased travel demand during the Rakhi festival. The services will operate until August 11. TSRTC said fares on these special buses have been increased by 50% due to higher operational costs, with the revised rates applicable for only three days before returning to normal.