Latest news with #MissionforEliminationofPovertyinMunicipalAreas
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Prevent disease outbreak, Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu directs officials
VIJAYAWADA: With the onset of monsoon, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu stressed the need to prevent disease outbreak, directing officials to ensure effective drainage, clean surroundings, and safe drinking water. On Saturday, he held a comprehensive review with senior officials from the Municipal Administration and Finance Departments. The meeting focused on solid waste management, infrastructure creation, and the progress of initiatives under the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA). Highlighting women's empowerment, Naidu directed MEPMA officials to enhance product quality through continuous training for self-help groups (SHGs) and to promote DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) products via e-commerce. He urged the creation of systems for municipalities and corporations to generate their own electricity for street lighting, alongside efforts to conserve energy and improve air quality. Expressing concern over poultry waste being dumped in urban areas, he called for a special policy and advocated circular economy practices in waste disposal. Naidu called for the swift completion of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the elimination of legacy waste, while establishing systems for regular garbage collection.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
To boost employment, Telangana mulls reviving self-help groups (SHGs) for disabled; plans include microloans & skill training
HYDERABAD: In an effort to empower people with disabilities, the state govt is looking at reviving self-help groups for people with disablities which would provide them self-employment opportunities as well as improve their financial status. There are around 10 lakh disabled persons residing in the state, according to the 2011 Census data. Similar to women's self-help groups (SHGs), plans are afoot to set up these SHGs for the disabled where priority would be given to savings. While there were about 70,000 such groups in the past, many have become inactive after 2016. The govt plans to reactivate these groups as well as establish new ones. Guidelines are currently being prepared under the supervision of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). Officials are working on modalities such as membership numbers, monthly savings amounts and collection procedures in areas lacking banking facilities. Once all considerations are finalised, guidelines are expected to be issued. In the past, each group consisted of six to seven members. To join a group, an Aadhaar card and a local address will be mandatory. In urban areas, staff from Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas will provide assistance. These SHGs would help with microloans for agricultural and non-agricultural activities. Support for technical and vocational training, marketing facilities and subsidised financing will also be available, officials said.
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
MEPMA bags 9 SKOCH Platinum Awards for initiatives to end poverty
VIJAYAWADA: The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), under the Government of Andhra Pradesh, has achieved national recognition by winning nine SKOCH Platinum Awards for its exemplary work in urban poverty alleviation. The SKOCH Awards, among India's most prestigious independent honours, acknowledged MEPMA's innovative, inclusive, and impactful initiatives that have significantly improved the lives of vulnerable urban communities. Of the 14 projects submitted by MEPMA, nine were selected for Platinum honours following a rigorous evaluation process comprising peer review, board assessment, public voting, and expert panel scrutiny. The recognition is seen as a milestone in Andhra Pradesh's commitment to inclusive urban development, especially in empowering self-help groups (SHGs), urban homeless, street vendors, and marginalised occupational communities. The awarded projects span a wide range of focus areas including housing for the urban homeless, financial inclusion of SHG members, digital livelihood tracking, e-commerce for women entrepreneurs, skill development, gig economy participation, and structured support for street vendors and vulnerable groups. MEPMA's strategic and community-driven approach has emerged as a model for other states to follow. Mission Director N Tej Bharath credited the leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Adminstration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister P Narayana for their support, and thanked Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar and CM's Secretary Pradyumna for their guidance. The SKOCH Awards will be officially presented during the SKOCH Summit in New Delhi on September 20, 2025.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
MEPMA bags nine SKOCH Platinum awards
The Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) has secured nine SKOCH Platinum awards. Established in 2007 and operating under the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MA&UD), MEPMA addresses urban poverty through a multi-dimensional approach that integrates livelihood generation, financial inclusion, skill development, housing and women empowerment, according to a release from the department. Out of 14 innovative projects submitted by MEPMA, nine were chosen for the recognition. The nine initiatives pertain to the welfare of self-help groups (SHGs), urban homeless, street vendors and unrecognised occupational groups. 'This is a moment of pride not just for the department, but for every individual who has been empowered through these interventions. Our aim has always been to create lasting, inclusive change,' said S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, MA&UD Department, in the press statement. He added that the MEPMA field staff have been instrumental in implementing the policy. 'From training SHG members in digital tools to facilitating access to markets, their efforts have touched thousands of lives,' Mr. Suresh Kumar said. MEPMA mission director N. Tej Bharat said these awards are a recognition of the tireless efforts of their teams and commitment of the SHGs. The SKOCH Awards are a prestigious independent civilian award presented by the SKOCH Group. The SKOCH Platinum awards will be formally presented at the SKOCH Summit in New Delhi on September 20.
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
MEPMA to tie up with NGOs to groom women entrepreneurs in Andhra Pradesh
Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) Director N. Tej Bharat on Friday convened a workshop with the representatives of NGOs and companies operating in various districts across the State. The meeting was organised as part of a plan to create 30,000 women entrepreneurs across 123 municipalities, towards achieving a broader goal of empowering 1,00,000 women entrepreneurs in the State. The MEPMA is collaborating with several organisations to achieve the goal. The focus of Friday's meeting was to identify organisations with foreign funding, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and successful programmes in women's empowerment, business development and livelihood enhancement. Representatives of 60 NGOs and corporate entities from across the State attended the workshop, where objectives, operational scope and potential for collaborations were discussed. An action plan was drawn to guide the future partnerships. The MEPMA officials assessed the interest of the participants at the district or State level and evaluated their resources, manpower and financial capabilities.
