YSR Aasara in AP was the scheme that repaid the outstanding bank loans of women self-help group members, in four instalments paid directly into the women’s bank accounts. It was one of the largest debt-relief programmes for SHG women in the country, and this guide explains who received it, how the instalments worked, and what its current status is in 2026.

What Is YSR Aasara?

YSR Aasara is the Andhra Pradesh government’s programme to clear the outstanding bank loans of women self-help group (SHG) members. Under the scheme, the government took over the loan burden of SHG women and repaid the outstanding amount in four annual instalments, credited directly to the woman’s bank account. The aim was to free SHG families from the debt they had taken for livelihoods, health and children’s education, and to restore their ability to borrow fresh for income-generating work.

The scheme was announced in 2019 and the first instalment was paid in September 2020. It covered women in both rural SHGs, implemented through the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), and urban SHGs, implemented through the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA). Around 90 lakh women were covered, and the total amount committed was about Rs 27,000 crore over the four instalments.

How Much Did Each Woman Receive?

There was no single fixed amount, because the benefit depended on the woman’s outstanding loan. The government repaid the loan amount that was outstanding as on the cut-off date, and that amount was divided into four equal instalments. A woman with a larger outstanding loan received a larger total, and a woman with a smaller loan received a smaller total. The instalments were credited to the woman’s own bank account, not to the SHG’s account, so that she could see and use the money.

Because the amount varied by loan, any figure quoted as a fixed per-woman amount is misleading. What matters is the loan that was outstanding on the cut-off date and whether the four instalments reached the woman’s account. Women who are unsure whether they received all four instalments should check their bank passbook and their SHG records.

Who Was Eligible for YSR Aasara?

To be covered by YSR Aasara, a woman had to meet these conditions:

• SHG member: the woman must be a member of a self-help group in Andhra Pradesh, rural or urban.
• Outstanding loan: the SHG must have had a bank loan outstanding as on the cut-off date of 11 April 2019.
• Bank linkage: the loan must have been taken through the SHG bank linkage programme.
• Bank account: the woman must have a bank account linked to her Aadhaar, so that the instalments could be credited by direct benefit transfer.

Women who joined an SHG after the cut-off date, or whose SHG had no outstanding loan on that date, were not covered by the scheme. That is an important distinction: YSR Aasara was a one-time clearance of the loans that existed on the cut-off date, not an ongoing loan waiver for every SHG member.

How the Four Instalments Worked

The repayment was spread over four years so that the state’s finances could absorb the large outlay:

1. First instalment: paid in September 2020, when the scheme was launched.
2. Second instalment: paid the following year, after verification of the SHG and bank records.
3. Third instalment: paid in the third year to the women who had received the earlier instalments.
4. Fourth instalment: the final instalment, completing the repayment of the outstanding loan.

Each instalment was one-fourth of the woman’s outstanding loan amount. The money went directly to the woman’s bank account. The SHG’s village organisation and the Mandal Samakhya kept records of the instalments, and the woman could confirm the credit in her bank passbook.

How to Check YSR Aasara Status

There is no single public portal where an individual woman can check her YSR Aasara instalments online. To confirm your status:

1. Check your bank passbook or account statement for credits marked as YSR Aasara or SHG loan repayment.
2. Ask your SHG’s village organisation or the Mandal Samakhya for the instalment record of your group.
3. Visit the Village or Ward Secretariat and ask the welfare assistant to check the SHG records.
4. Contact the SERP office for rural SHGs or the MEPMA office for urban SHGs in your district.
5. Keep the bank account that received the instalments active, because any pending amount would be credited to the same account.

The AP government portal at ap.gov.in links to the rural development and municipal departments, and the SERP website at serp.ap.gov.in carries information on the SHG programmes in rural areas. If a credit is missing, the first step is to confirm with the bank that the account was active and Aadhaar-linked when the instalment was due.

Current Status of YSR Aasara in 2026

YSR Aasara was designed as a four-instalment programme for the loans outstanding on 11 April 2019, and its payment cycle belonged to the 2019–2024 period. It is not an open scheme that new SHG members can apply to in 2026. A woman who was covered should check whether all four instalments reached her account, and if any instalment is missing, she should raise it with her SHG federation, the secretariat, or the SERP or MEPMA office. A woman who joined an SHG after the cut-off date should not expect a YSR Aasara payment, but she can still benefit from the SHG bank linkage programme and from other women’s welfare schemes.

Women in the 45 to 60 age group should also read about the separate YSR Cheyutha scheme, which pays Rs 18,750 a year to SC, ST, BC and minority women. YSR Cheyutha and YSR Aasara are different schemes with different benefits, and a woman could receive both if she met the conditions for each.

YSR Aasara vs Other Women’s Schemes

It is easy to confuse the women’s schemes, because several of them support the same families. YSR Aasara repaid SHG loans. YSR Cheyutha pays an annual amount of Rs 18,750 to women aged 45 to 60 from SC, ST, BC and minority communities. Stree Shakti gives free bus travel to women across the state. The NTR Bharosa pension scheme gives a monthly pension to widows, single women and the elderly. Each scheme has its own eligibility and its own application or enrolment route, so a woman should check each one separately rather than assuming that qualifying for one means qualifying for all.

Common Problems and Solutions

Instalment missing: check the bank passbook first, then ask the village organisation and the secretariat to verify the record. Bank account closed or changed: update the new account with the SHG federation and link it to Aadhaar, because payments go only to the registered account. Not covered because of the cut-off date: the scheme covered only loans outstanding on 11 April 2019; later loans are not eligible. Name mismatch: correct the name in the bank account and the SHG record so that the payment is not rejected. SHG not in the list: confirm with the Mandal Samakhya whether the group was a bank-linked SHG on the cut-off date.

Frequently Asked Questions About YSR Aasara in AP

Can I apply for YSR Aasara now?

No. YSR Aasara was a one-time programme for the loans outstanding on 11 April 2019, and it is not open for fresh applications in 2026. New SHG members can use the SHG bank linkage programme for fresh loans.

How do I know if I received all four instalments?

Check your bank passbook for four credits, and confirm with your SHG’s village organisation. If a credit is missing, raise it with the secretariat or the SERP or MEPMA office.

Did YSR Aasara cover urban SHG women too?

Yes. Rural SHGs were covered through SERP and urban SHGs through MEPMA. The benefit and the instalment pattern were the same for both.

Is YSR Aasara the same as YSR Cheyutha?

No. YSR Aasara repaid SHG loans in four instalments. YSR Cheyutha pays Rs 18,750 a year to women aged 45 to 60 from SC, ST, BC and minority communities. They are separate schemes.

Final Word

YSR Aasara in AP repaid the outstanding bank loans of around 90 lakh SHG women in four instalments, with a total outlay of about Rs 27,000 crore. It was a one-time clearance for the loans that existed on 11 April 2019, not an ongoing waiver, so the important step for a covered woman in 2026 is to confirm that all four instalments reached her account. For the wider picture of women’s welfare this year, see our guide to Andhra Pradesh schemes in August 2026, and for the monthly pension that supports widows and single women, read about the NTR Bharosa pension scheme.

Last updated: November 2026