YSRCP MLC and the party’s women’s wing president Varudu Kalyani on Tuesday (May 6) alleged that a skill development programme for women in the State has been turned into a ₹254-crore scam.
Addressing a press conference at the party office, Ms. Kalyani said the the skill development programme trains women from BC, EBC and Kapu women. The government, however, is turning the programme into a “corruption goldmine.”
She alleged that an attempt to misappropriate a sum of ₹157 crore was already on. The government deliberately sidelined reputable public-sector training institutions such as CEDAP, APITCO and DDU-GKY and awarded inflated tenders to its cronies in violation of norms, she alleged.
While the actual cost of training and providing sewing machines is approximately ₹7,300 a woman, the government inflated the estimates to ₹23,000 a head, siphoning off ₹15,700 a beneficiary. The contractors received ₹25 crore as mobilisation advances, despite providing only 135 hours of training against the mandated 360 hours and failing to supply training kits.
The Coalition government is favouring TDP-affiliated contractors, with 93% contracts awarded to L2 and L3 bidders, bypassing the lowest bidder (L1), she alleged, adding: “It’s a systematic loot of public funds meant for women’s uplift.”
Ms. Kalyani demanded an immediate ACB investigation into the scam and vowed to fight for justice for the one lakh women cheated by the programme.
Published – May 06, 2025 08:06 pm IST
