Guntur: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday reiterated that the DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) initiative, launched three decades ago, has transformed into a national role model for women’s economic empowerment.

Speaking at the inauguration of Saras Mela 2026 here, he expressed pride in the way self-help groups have enabled women to achieve financial independence and stand on their own feet.

Naidu visited stalls set up by DWCRA women and interacted with members before addressing the gathering. He recalled the early days of the movement, when women stepping out of their homes for meetings was ridiculed. “Today, DWCRA has become an unbeatable force and set records across the country,” he said.

Speaking of achievements, the Chief Minister noted that 1.13 crore DWCRA women in Andhra Pradesh have mobilised savings of Rs 26,000 crore and built a corpus fund of Rs 5,200 crore. During 2024–25 alone, DWCRA groups accessed bank loans worth Rs 46,590 crore. He congratulated Union minister Pemmasani Chandrasekhar for organising the national-level expo in Andhra Pradesh, describing the mela as ‘Mini India’ with its festive atmosphere. The event, he said, would help brand traditional handicrafts, handlooms, and local food products while creating vital market linkages for women entrepreneurs.

Naidu recalled the TDP’s longstanding commitment to women’s welfare, citing N T Rama Rao’s initiatives such as property rights for women and the establishment of Padmavathi University in Tirupati.

Strengthening DWCRA after assuming office, Naidu said the groups now have 89 lakh members, while Mepma associations count 24 lakh. He praised women for adhering to timely loan repayment, which enabled them to secure higher credit and achieve steady progress.

With the vision of “one entrepreneur per household,” the government has nurtured 93,000 micro and MSME entrepreneurs, and DWCRA women have even travelled abroad to train others.

Reaffirming his belief that a Chief Minister is a public servant, Naidu said the coalition government is committed to welfare and development. Under Talliki Vandanam, Rs 10,090 crore is deposited annually into the accounts of mothers of 67 lakh students.

The Stree Shakti scheme provides free bus travel for women, while three free LPG cylinders are supplied each year under Deepam. Through WhatsApp Governance, services are delivered directly to citizens, and the Sanjeevani programme assures healthcare to five crore people.

Earlier, Naidu distributed cheques worth Rs 1,375 crore to DWCRA groups under Stree Nidhi and facilitated Rs 2,171 crore in loans through SERP. He also purchased a saree for his wife Bhuvaneswari from a handloom stall and sanctioned Rs 6 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to assist a self-help group member seeking medical aid for her husband.