Women in Jogulamba Gadwal learn self help is the best help

They are so adept at saving money that they normally pay back their bank loans within a span of two years Hyderabad, Telangana: Satharla Padma (35) is the sole provider for her family of six. She works as an agricultural labourer, toiling under the sun to earn Rs 400 a day. With this money, she has to look after her husband who struggles with alcoholism, her aged mother-in-law and three children.Padma, a resident of Pacharla gram panchayat in Rajoli block of Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana, is one of the 10 members of self-help group (SHG) Pacharla Gramaikhya Sangam. Padma  became a part of it to manage her finances properly. The group provides a lifeline to the village, offering financial management skills, access to savings and even loans for critical life events.However, the dual responsibilities placed on women — caring for the elderly and raising children — often serve as obstacles in their pursuit of financial independence and economic empowerment. Take the example of Pacharla-based Jhansirani Mahila Podupu Sangam, which has 10 members. In all, their families have 40 members, including 18 elderly and 28 children below the age of 14.In Rajoli block, each savings association secures loans ranging from Rs 10 to 20 lakh for self-employment. Their members are engaged in varied individual businesses. For instance, Padma runs a grocery shop. Jhansirani association's head Srivani Boya (31) manages a computer centre and its second in-charge Guggilla Jayamma (48) operates a chilli grinder unit.The women in savings associations usually repay their bank loans within a span of two years. Besides experiencing financial growth, they indirectly create employment opportunities for an additional 10 individuals through their entrepreneurship.  Jhanshi Rani SHG Bookkeeper cum Patcharla VOA Mekala Krishna recording group ledger (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)Rising above the expenses "At present, there are 310 village organisations with 90,800 active women members availing loans in Jogulamba Gadwal district. A total of 1,555 business units are linked to these groups," Pandari Koteswaramma, Assistant Project Manager, Jogulamba Gadwal District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), told 101Reporters. The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) district-wise credit flow report (as on September 30) shows the target for 2023-24 is Rs 170.72 crore for 4,074 SHGs.    In Rajoli block, agricultural labourers form a major chunk of the women in savings association. Additionally, some of them manage businesses to support their families. For instance, Satharla Padma earns around Rs 10,000 per month as an agricultural labourer. Her monthly expenses include house expenses (Rs 5,000), health expenses (Rs 1,000), school fees of her son (Rs 800), and an SHG group loan EMI (Rs 3,000), which she took for her daughter's marriage. In short, her monthly savings is just Rs 200.Telugu Allemma (28) lives in Pacharla with her children aged 13 and 10, after her husband Naganna succumbed to tuberculosis in 2009. She works as an agricultural labourer and earns a similar income as Padma. Allemma's monthly expenses include house expenses (Rs 4,500), health expenses (Rs 1,000), children's school fees (Rs 2,000) and an SHG group loan EMI of Rs 2,200. She manages to save only Rs 300 per month.It is a matter of surprise that women make profit through their savings association-related businesses over the years, despite not saving up anything substantial by working as labourers. Saraswati Goundla (53), a member of the Jhansirani association, utilised her SHG loan to buy two buffaloes and a plough. She now supplies two cans of milk daily to the local milk centre. Rajoli Community Coordinator Boina Buchanna (48) told 101Reporters that Goundla's investment of Rs 1 lakh made in 2021 has since yielded an annual income of Rs 3 lakh. Koteswaramma added that the achievements of these women were noteworthy.Interest waiver pendingOn September 9, 2009, the Pavala Vaddi Scheme was launched to provide interest waivers on loans given to SHG women if they made prompt repayments. However, the scheme has not been operational for the past three years."The savings societies in Jogulamba Gadwal district have successfully secured bank linkage loans totalling Rs 148.13 crore in 2021-22. Impressively, these enterprising women have already repaid Rs 141 crore to the banks," said Mula Saroja, DRDA officer in Maldakal block, adding that the state government has been refunding three-fourths of the interest paid by the women from 2009 to 2019-20.A DRDA official on condition of anonymity told 101Reporters that the government has not been releasing the loan waiver amount for SHGs in the last three years. "The amounts will be deposited into their respective loan accounts once the fund is released," the official said.  In 2018-19 and 2019-20, interest totalling Rs 7 crore was pending to the women of Jogulamba Gadwal, but it was paid this May and June. However, interest waivers on loans deposited by women in 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscals are still pending.Jogulamba Gadwal district comprises 12 blocks. Of them, Itikyala has the highest number of savings associations at 40 and Waddepally the lowest at 12. There are 17 in Alampur, 30 in Dharur, 33 in Gadwal, 35 in Ghattu, 33 in Ieeja, 19 in Keti Doddi, 22 in Manopad, 16 in Rajoli and 19 in Undavalli.According to Koteswaramma, these self-help groups are not only boosting women's self-esteem but also enabling them to establish self-employment ventures. Moreover, these women are achieving financial independence while fulfilling their responsibilities of caring for the elderly and children in their families. How they functionJhansirani association collectively borrowed Rs 7.50 lakh in October last year, which was equally distributed among its members. It has two bank accounts — one for savings and the other for loan. The loan is subject to a monthly EMI of Rs 3,000. Every month, all members contribute Rs 100 to the savings account, for which the bank pays 2.7% interest. This amount has a role in qualifying them for a new loan.  Srivani is a science graduate, but the other members of Jhansirani group have no formal education and are not familiar with technology. Women familiarise with the minutes of the meetings with the guidance of the village organisation agent, community coordinator and DRDA. Additionally, the houses of the members are visited a day before the meeting to collect the money related to savings and debts (EMIs) each month. “After the bookkeeper, both the village organisation agent and community coordinator verify the accuracy of the documents before proceeding with our activities,” said Srivani.Jhanshi Rani SHG group leader Srivani Boya sitting in her Computer center, Patcharla (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters) Presently, Mekala Krishna (52) serves as the bookkeeper of the Jhansirani group. He is also working as the village organisation agent for the Patcharla Gramaikhya Sangam and receives a monthly payment of Rs.1,500 each from both groups for his services. He gets Rs 5,000 from the SERP for working as a village organisation agent."When the group leader calls for a meeting, I attend to maintain their ledger books every month. Over a decade, I have observed that newly formed SHGs become eligible for a loan of Rs 1 lakh, after consistently saving for six months in their SHG bank account. If each member contributes Rs 200 per month to the SHG savings account, there will be Rs 12,000 plus savings interest in the account. This helps them to get more access to loans,” Krishna told 101Reporters.“When a group applies for their first loan, my workload increases significantly. I am responsible for filling up their loan application forms. This process repeats every two years," he explained. By taking help from others and by saving up as much as possible, the SHG women are building a better life for themselves, their families and the society at large.Cover Photo - Jhanshi Rani Self Help Group Members, Pacharla Giss, Jogulamba Gadwal (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)

For Pacharla villagers, nothing matters more than their mini irrigation tank

With the Telangana government’s lift irrigation project running late, people are dependent on rainfall for cultivation and livestock management Gadwal, Telangana: Water is a priceless commodity for the farmers living in villages beyond the barrage across River Tungabhadra in Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana. Located along the state borders with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, many villages in Rajoli block do not receive water from the interstate Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS). Though agriculture is the mainstay, farmers depend on samidoddi kunta (a mini irrigation tank) to water their crops and quench the thirst of livestock.Around 26,000 acres in Rajoli block depend on rain-fed agriculture. The Tummilla Lift Irrigation Project coming under the RDS was supposed to ensure supply to these lands. However, delays in project execution have been hampering the release of water. Irony is that all the affected villages are located within 30 km of the canal that gets its supply from the RDS barrage. Water shortage has always been an issue, despite the Krishna and Tungabhadra crisscrossing the semi-arid lands of Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet, Nagarkurnool and Mahabubnagar districts. This is because Telangana forms the northeastern part of the Deccan Plateau.  The Telangana Plateau is located around 600 m above the sea level. Take the case of Pacharla village coming under the village panchayat of the same name. Pacharla can irrigate its 100 acres only by storing rainwater in the mini irrigation tank managed by the Rajoli block and Pacharla panchayat authorities. The remaining 25,900 acres in the other five villages — Mondoddi, Tanagala, Tandrapadu, Uppal and Tummilla — are irrigated in the same manner.   Besides growing only rain-fed crops, the villagers fulfill their water needs by drawing water from wells, borewells and ponds. However, they have better options like Mission Bhagiratha and hand pumps when it comes to drinking water. "We have developed the mini tank on the village outskirts," said Pacharla sarpanch P Tirumal Reddy. Panchayat secretary K Vijayalaxmi added that farmers cultivated chillies and onions. “At least 500 small and marginal farmers benefit from the tank," she said.Students and Teachers Independence Day Rally in Patcharla Village (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)Recognising a needThe people of Pacharla recognised the importance of a water retention structure after a drought hit the region in the 90s. They approached the Mandal Development Office seeking a solution. The natural tank was present in the area for over two decades. However, the mud from it was removed only in 2014 to enhance its water capacity. After that, no further work happened until 2022. Measures like planting trees around the tank began on April 10, 2022. Of the Rs 10 lakh funds made available to the panchayat, Rs 6.67 lakh came from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The state irrigation department accounted for the rest. Beautification measures, including planting of saplings, were completed using the Central funds. Twenty MGNREGA job card holders worked on this initiative, while field assistants, panchayat secretary and village sarpanch offered all possible assistance. However, the work is not yet over. It is likely to be completed only by 2027. “Almost 20% of the tank renovation work that began in 2014 is complete. The remaining activities, including construction of a compound wall, culverts and approach roads, are pending. In 2022-23, we spent Rs 3.4 lakh of the sanctioned Rs 6.67 lakh MGNREGA fund, thus creating 3,467 person-days,” Rajoli block Technical Work Inspector Mamata Kaluva told 101Reporters.  What turned out to be a lifeline for the pond was the 2014 launch of Telangana government’s Mission Kakatiya project, which aimed at restoring the lost glory of minor irrigation structures in the state with community participation. In July the same year, the state irrigation department carried out its first census on minor irrigation sources in Telangana. It assessed the presence of 46,531 tanks in the state. As a follow-up, the department tried to restore/renovate all of them the next five years, taking up 20% of the tanks each year.   Now, the Pacharla tank brims with water when the village sees good rains. During the dry months, it is a cool shade for both humans and cattle.MGNREGA Worker's job card and work demand (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)Delayed promises Tummilla Lift Irrigation Scheme under RDS is meant to cater to the whole of Rajoli, Manopad, Ieeja and Undavelli blocks in Alampur taluk. The farmlands of Pacharla and surrounding villages are bound to benefit from the project's second phase involving construction work on Mallamma Kunta Reservoir. The Tummilla project was announced by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in 2016, for which a grant of Rs 834.60 crore was promised then. It was meant to make up for the incomplete Tungabhadra water supply initiative under the RDS for the last ayakattu farmers. However, delays in work, increasing material costs and corruption have affected it.   The first phase of the project was completed  in  June 2021 at a cost of Rs 389 crore, with two pumps of 5.5 MW capacity installed to pump 340 cusecs of water, and another pump with a capacity of 10.5 MW installed to pump 392 cusecs.  Already 55,600 acres have been irrigated in the first phase, while another 31,900 acres will get water in the second phase. In total, the Telangana Irrigation Department is working with the target of irrigating 87,500 acres as part of the Tummilla scheme in two phases, but proper monitoring and supervision are not happening.  For example, the work related to the Tummilla scheme on Mallamma Kunta Reservoir, Julakal and Vallur villages were to be completed in the second phase, for which the state government had sanctioned Rs 394 crore in administrative grants. Though the deadline lapsed in July, there has been no progress in the work even now. An exemplary effort Pacharla serves as a model for many semi-arid villages in Telangana, where migration due to lack of water and resources has always been high.   Medikunda Hanumanthu (49) has two acres of cotton crop that gets water from the village’s mini irrigation tank. His family members tend to the crop. “We are glad that the mini tank helps us to cultivate our land,” he said.  “In our village, we collectively take decisions regarding developmental works. We discuss farmers’ problems in a meeting at Rythu Veddika Bhavan monthly. For us, the mini irrigation tank is a god’s gift. It is a symbol of our happiness. That is why we even hoist a national flag on the tank on August 15,” said Patcharla Raithu Samithi president Peddi Reddy (65).   Earlier, Independence Day celebrations were held at Pacharla village panchayat office. Since last year, the official flag-hoisting and recital of the national anthem have been held on the tank premises also.   “A fair is organised every year at avvagudi (a temple) near the tank. We have installed Lord Hanuman's statue in the nearby Guntirangayya temple to appease Lord Varuna to have mercy on us, bringing good rains and thus filling our tank with water. Farmers celebrate Dussehra with joy on its premises," said Pacharla sarpanch Tirumal Reddy (48).The people of the village want to convert the tank into a tourist spot and facilitate those who come there for the annual fair. Tirumal hoped a park would come up along the banks of the tank within the next two years.  Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - India's Independence Day Celebrations at Samidoddi Kunta Mini Irrigation Tank (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)

A long wait for wages, gratuity for anganwadi workers of Telangana

Despite being the backbone of efforts to reduce infant and maternal mortalities and to impart pre-school education, anganwadi teachers and helpers are not considered as government employees   Hyderabad, Telangana: Akula Buvvamma alias Shaik Mahboobi (53) has a busy morning schedule. Waking up at 6 am, one of the first things she does is to fetch water from a public tap, installed under Mission Bhagiratha near the anganwadi centre in Pacharla BC Colony in Jogulamba Gadwal district of Telangana.She walks half a kilometre from her house in Pacharla village and collects three pots of clean drinking water, which she will use for cooking and cleaning at the anganwadi centre that day.Once done with the chore, she hurriedly returns to clean the house, take a bath and make tea. She also cooks and packs her lunch of rice and curry, before setting out for the anganwadi centre again, mostly by 8.30 am.By 9 am, in her position as an anganwadi helper, she assembles the slum dwellers’ children aged between seven months and six years and makes them sit for preschool activities. Earlier, the caste system used to work hard and fast here and no one was interested in tending to the children from lower castes. As Mahboobi showed willingness, she managed to get the job.Anganwadi helper at her hut in Jogulamba Gadwal (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)Mahboobi immerses herself in work until 4 pm — boiling milk and eggs for the 25 children in attendance, cooking nutritious food for them as well as the pregnant/lactating mothers visiting the Centre, doing dishes, cleaning the premises and putting the tiny tots to sleep after their lunch at 12 pm. Every child gets 120 ml of milk and an egg daily. However, the hard work she puts in does not match the honorarium of Rs 7,800 she receives every month.“I joined the anganwadi centre in 2007, two years after my husband died. I was paid nothing in the first two years. Finally, some relief from financial stress came when I started receiving a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,200 in 2009,” says Mahboobi, who used to sell betel leaves earlier to raise her two sons and three daughters.With her children moving out after marriage, she now lives alone. Her biggest fear is that she would end up not receiving gratuity during retirement. “My salary will not be enough to deal with future scenarios, including diseases,” she frets.Anganwadi helper Manikyamma listening to ICDS Govt.Tsat TV lessons (Photo - Vekateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters) Nothing comes without a fightAt every protest they hold, anganwadi teachers and helpers raise their voices seeking gratuity. They seek recognition as full-time government employees, who get wages under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, and not honorarium. An anganwadi teacher is paid Rs 12,000 per month, which translates to Rs 460 a day. Similarly, a helper’s daily wage is Rs 300. The Central and state governments contribute in the ratio of 60:40 to make these payments. Sadly, the honorariums are no match for the minimum wage of Rs 800 that a daily wage labourer in Telangana receives.Honorarium to anganwadi workers as per PIB press release (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters) Hence, the Telangana Anganwadi Teachers and Helpers Union (affiliated to Centre for Indian Trade Unions) have been demanding that anganwadi teachers be paid Rs 26,000 and helpers Rs 20,000 per month. It will launch an indefinite strike on September 11 to make the state government act on their demands, which include retirement benefits of Rs 10 lakh to teachers and Rs 5 lakh to helpers. A landmark judgment from the Supreme Court (SC) last year raised their hopes in this regard. In its April 25 order, the SC observed that anganwadi workers and helpers were entitled to the payment of gratuity under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. The court also directed disbursal of gratuity to all eligible employees within three months with 10% simple interest.It also noted that anganwadis worked as an arm of government and took responsibility for the proper implementation of the provisions of the Right to Education Act and the National Food Security Act.In a bid to firefight, besides finding a loophole, the Telangana government recently announced a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to retiring anganwadi teachers and Rs 50,000 to mini anganwadi teachers and helpers. On the other hand, it also raised the retirement age of anganwadi teachers and helpers to 65 years from the earlier 57.  It should be noted that term ‘gratuity’ was not used for the financial assistance, which anyways will be a much bigger sum than the amount announced. For example, if a helper’s last drawn salary is Rs 7,800 and she has completed 30 years of service, the gratuity contribution would be Rs 1,35,000. For an anganwadi teacher with similar experience, the gratuity contribution comes to Rs 2,07,692.As many as 34,148 anganwadi centres are present across Telangana, with each anganwadi supposed to have a teacher and helper. However, only 33,843 teachers and 27,990 helpers are on duty. The remaining posts are vacant.  No job security, health cardsBeing the torchbearers of government schemes related to education and health under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the compensation for their critical work does not match with the importance of their roles. Health cards, pension and job security are still unattainable for the predominantly female anganwadi workforce. They have also been seeking more budget allocation for the ICDS.Lack of money or health card to treat diseases leads to deaths at times. Take the case of Padma Kolas (46), an anganwadi helper from Maddulapalli village in Khammam Rural mandal. Last month, she succumbed to dengue, leaving behind two children aged below eight years. Similarly, cases where funerals got delayed due to want of money have also been reported. Telangana State Gazetted Officers Union (TNGO) Khammam Leader Afzal Hassan giving Rs 10,000 cheque to Padma Kolas's family members (Photo - Vekateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)Boya Manikyamma (55) is an anganwadi helper at the Comprehensive Women Child Welfare Development Anganwadi Centre in Jyotinagar 2 of Khairatabad mandal in Hyderabad district. “This is my 26th year of service. I suffer from leg and back pain. The officials say we can take voluntary retirement if we want. But how can I leave with empty hands? How shall I live after that?” says Manikyamma, who stays with one of her three children. The nutritional status of women and children in the state have improved through the concerted efforts of anganwadi workers, though it has not achieved the set target to reduce anaemia. The percentages of underweight children aged less than three years and anaemic pregnant women are still high. As a result, reduction of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) continues to be a challenge.A Press Information Bureau release, dated February 8, 2022, shows how IMR in Telangana has come down from 34 in 2015 to 23 in 2019 per 1,000 live births. In fact, Telangana Health Minister Thanneeru Harish Rao claimed on Twitter last November that Telangana ranked third in the country in the reduction of IMR and MMR.  Despite the good work, anganwadi workers are yet to receive their dues. When they will get it depends mainly on the state and Central government’s willingness to recognise their role as frontline workers in educating the marginalised, ensuring their nutrition and thereby securing their health in future. Until then, people like Mahboobi and Manikyamma will continue to suffer.Edited by Rekha PulinnoliCover Photo - Sridevi, Mahboobi and a child's mother at Patcharla Anganwadi Center (Photo - Venkateshwarlu Boya, 101Reporters)