T Govt trying to get 1,000-cr World Bank aid

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government is trying to secure around Rs 1,000-crore aid from the World Bank and another Rs 450 crore under the National Rural Livelihood Programme.

Government officials will meet World Bank officials soon and finalise the deal. The money will be utilised in the coming five years in the state to improve the living standards of rural people and also to provide livelihood. The World Bank will give funds under the Rural Inclusive Growth Plan (RIGP).

Rural development minister KT Rama Rao directed the officials to be in touch with World Bank officials.

At a five-hour-long review meeting on Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) held at the Secretariat here on Friday, the minister said that the state government was planning to increase the bank linkage to women of self-help groups (SHGs) from the present Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The minister directed the officials to work out the additional burden on the government for implementing the same. In Telangana there are 4.13 lakh SHG groups with a membership of 47.62 lakh in 442 mandals in nine districts.

The minister felt that all the services in a village should be available at one place. 'One-stop shop solution is needed. There should not be so many call centres. One call centre should be set up. All the services should be addressed from one call centre,' he said.

e-PANCHAYAT: Rama Rao mooted e-Panchayat making available all services at one place for the people. However, this proposal should be studied in detail, he added. He directed the officials to go and study how the decentralisation in panchayats was taken up by Kerala and Karnataka.

The Stree Nidhi scheme, launched to counter MFIs, has announced Rs 98 lakh dividend for the state government for 2012-13. Rama Rao congratulated the officials on announcing the dividend and lauded the implementation of SERP programmes.

Rama Rao asked the officials to clear dues to the tune of Rs 14.96 crore for women under Bangaru Talli scheme immediately. He added that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would soon take a call whether to continue Bangaru Talli as it is or to make any changes in its implementation.

Surprise Call to Call Centre

Rural development minister KT Rama Rao surprised a call centre operator in Karimnagar district. During the review on SERP, when the officials explained about the insurance scheme being implemented for SHG women and the call centres, Rama Rao took the number of a call centre in Karimnagar.

Rama Rao asked various questions about insurance claim procedure as a lay man. The operator, Venkatesh, answered all the queries of the minister in a polite manner and cleared all his doubts.

Later, Rama Rao revealed his identity. 'Brother, I am minister KTR. Good you have responded in a polite manner even without knowing my identity. It is good. Keep it up,' Rama Rao told Venkatesh.