The meticulous manner in which the family has taken the advantage of the existing policies of the democratic government reflects the popular mood . Mrs. A Appala Raju and her husband, toil as agricultural labourers from dawn to dusk in the fields to earn their daily bread. They have two children, a boy and a girl. The daughter is studying + 1 class at Pithapuram town. Mrs. Appala Raju has been a member of Adarsa Swayam Sahayaka Sangham of her village for the last five years. As a member of the local women’s group, she availed loan facility and received Rs 25000. She purchased a milch animal and through its earnings she repaid the loan amount later. She is indebted to the local staff of for giving her information on insurance schemes. Having heard about Abhayahastam scheme, she lost no time in enrolling herself. She has already paid two premium installments and is preparing to pay the third one. She has tasted the fruits of the scheme even before she attained the age of 60. Her daughter, now studying elsewhere, receives Rs. 1200 per annum as scholarship. Mrs. Appala Raju is definite that she will receive her pension after 60 years. Paternal care of the insurance scheme is more appealing for me, she declares. For her, the insurance scheme symbolises three important variables viz., old age security; child protection through scholarship and emergency help in case of any mishap. In academic terms, she is an illiterate. But she is highly informed of social dynamics of daily life. It is this knowledge that keeps her going today. She feels satisfied that her family is now shielded to unexpected problems. The difference in wages between males and females is one area where she feels that the women’s group should step in and resolve the disparity. Dignity of labour is one irritant that stills bothers many of us in the village. I appeal to all those concerned to help poor women workers in getting their due on par with their male counterparts, she pleads. Her plea hints at the future direction of the activities of the women groups. Given the security coverage through the ANNA Abhayahastam, it may not be an exaggeration to say that these poor women will soon emerge to fight against inequalities in wages. The day is not far off. The insurance schemes have instilled confidence among many poor women and they are preparing themselves to shoulder more and more socially proactive roles and responsibilities.