Hyderabad: The Congress government has proposed a whopping Rs 3,081.04 crore for the Department for Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens for the Telangana Budget 2026-27.
Out of this, Rs 1,247.57 crore will be spent on departmental expenditure, including salaries and administrative costs, and Rs 1,833.47 crore is allocated to welfare schemes and development programmes.
Here are the key developments.
The government has allocated Rs 4,305 crore for the Mahalakshmi Scheme alone. According to Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, around 34.37 lakh women, girls and transgender women have availed the scheme with nearly 270 crore free journeys, resulting in a cumulative savings of Rs 9,222 crore.
Under the same scheme, the government will continue providing subsidised LPG cylinders at Rs 500. So far, over 42.9 lakh families have benefited, saving up to Rs 752 crore, Bhatti said.
The Mahila Shakti Mission is the government’s ambitious project, which aims to transform one crore women in Self-Help Groups (SHG) into millionaires.
The government will purchase 600 buses through SHGs, which will be leased to TGSRTC. In the first phase, 494 buses were purchased for Rs 177.84 crore.
The government had earlier announced to extend Rs 1 lakh crore in bank loans over five years. Of this, Rs 57,938 crore has already been extended, Bhatti informed the House.
The government has proposed Rs 2,500 crore for interest-free loans to the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWACRA).
The state will set up 22 Indira Mahila Shakti Bhavans, in addition to the existing 10. The Indira Mahila Shakti Bhavans will serve as offices, training centres and marketing and livelihood activities for women SHGs.
The government will add 28 more women-led petrol pumps. Currently, two exist, one in Narayanpet and the other in Sangareddy.
Bhatti said that the women-run 106 Indira Mahila Shakti Bazaar stall at Shilparamam recorded sales of Rs 7.68 crore.
The state continues to support 700 women entrepreneurs through WE-Hub.
The Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme is helping businesses run by 140 SHGs, with a special focus on entrepreneurs from minority, tribal and transgender communities, as well as people with disabilities. Through RAMP, women can receive market access and financial support.
To boost girls’ education, 93 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) will be inducted under the Young India Institutes of Excellence and 120 KGBVs to the intermediate level.
The government has allocated Rs 400 crore for infrastructure development at Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University (formerly called Osmania University College for Women).
The Arogya Lakshmi scheme has received Rs 355.12 crore and an additional amount for health and hygiene kits for adolescent girls. The scheme provides nutrition to pregnant and lactating women.
Under the Palana scheme, the government will launch 500 Anganwadi-cum-creche centres (AWCC) to support working mothers (including single women) by providing nutritious food and day-care services for the children.
The state has allocated Rs 324.54 crore to continue financial assistance for single women.
The Telangana government has allocated Rs 3,683 crore for the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes.
Here is the breakdown:
Special focus has been given to women from the minorities and tribal communities. Bhatti told the House that as many as 10,000 sewing machines were distributed to minority women from economically poor backgrounds.
The tribal women have largely benefited from the Indira Soura Giri Jala Vikasam scheme, which provides 100 per cent subsidised solar pump-sets.
Bhatti said that 50 per cent of workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) are women, making a significant contribution to rural employment.
It should be noted that as of December 2025, MGNREGA was replaced by Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G).
To enhance the safety of women in Hyderabad, the budget has earmarked Rs 100 crore (under the Nirbhaya Fund) for the Safe City Project.
The government has allocated Rs 15.54 crore for Bharosa Centres, which offer support in the form of legal, medical and psychological support to women affected by violence. The state has 10 centres spread across districts.
The state has allocated Rs 324.54 crore to continue financial assistance for single women.
Bhatti informed the House that under the “One Crore Sarees for One Crore Women” program, 70 lakh sarees were distributed among women.
