1.13 cr DWCRA women borrow Rs 47,000 cr from banks during FY25: Andhra CM

Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 8 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that women associated with Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas groups had borrowed nearly Rs 47,000 crore from banks during FY25, stressing the need to further strengthen them.

He said 1.13 crore DWCRA women had mobilised Rs 26,000 crore and built a corpus of Rs 5,200 crore.

"In 2024-25 alone, DWCRA women borrowed Rs 46,590 crore from banks," Naidu said while inaugurating Saras Mela-2026 in Guntur, an event aimed at providing market linkages for traditional handicrafts, handlooms, and local food products.

He said the TDP-led NDA alliance government was focusing on both welfare and development, reiterating its commitment to the goal of a "poverty-free state".

During the event, Naidu handed over cheques worth Rs 1,375 crore as loans to DWCRA groups under the 'Stree Nidhi' scheme and sanctioned Rs 2,171 crore in loans to self-help groups through the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).

The scheme is a flagship Andhra government initiative aimed at providing timely, affordable credit to women in self-help groups to reduce poverty and promote financial inclusion.

The chief minister also visited the stalls set up by DWCRA women at the mela and interacted with the participants. PTI STH SSK