Naidu pledges women empowerment as key priority

Vijayawada: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said empowering women remains a key priority of his administration. He urged women to prepare for leadership roles in public life, especially with the proposed 33% reservation in legislatures expected in the coming years. Naidu also promised to continue the three free LPG cylinders scheme despite rising prices due to global conflicts.Speaking at International Women's Day celebrations at Amaravati parade grounds, Naidu described women as the source of creation and symbols of hard work, love and sacrifice. "Where women are respected and worshipped, prosperity naturally follows," he said, pledging full commitment to women's empowerment.Naidu stressed the importance of joint families, urging people not to split households for ration or pension benefits. He said incentives are being considered for larger families, including multiple pensions, triple-bedroom homes, extra ration, and paternity leave. He highlighted schemes such as Talliki Vandanam (₹15,000 for mothers) and Stree Shakti free bus travel, which has enabled nearly 50 crore journeys.Highlighting women's growing role in governance and leadership, Naidu pointed out that the country currently has a tribal woman President and an efficient finance minister in the form of Nirmala Sitharaman. Recalling the legacy of N T Rama Rao, Naidu said the former leader introduced historic reforms such as equal property rights for women and reservations for women in local bodies at a time when women had very limited representation in public life.The chief minister said his earlier decisions to introduce reservations for women in jobs and educational institutions helped many women pursue higher education and careers, particularly in the information technology sector, where several women now earn higher incomes than men. The chief minister said the govt aims to promote entrepreneurship among women and already helped more than 1.12 lakh women establish MSME units, including over 33,000 in urban areas. He announced that the state aims to create 5 lakh women entrepreneurs by next year. Naidu also spoke about the launch of a new brand, "Swayam," under which products made by women's self-help groups will be marketed. He said the initiative would help strengthen branding and improve quality, packaging and recipes, while the govt would support marketing and provide machinery wherever required. He even offered to act as a brand ambassador to promote the products made by DWCRA women. He said that 37 MoUs were signed on the occasion to improve market access, quality and technology adoption for women-led enterprises. He reiterated that the govt would ensure women's safety and welfare and warned that strict action would be taken against those who harass women. Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh and women welfare minister G Sandhya Rani were also present.