Stating that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is giving high priority to strengthening handloom cooperative societies in the state, Minister Savita announced that the coalition government is getting ready to hold the handloom cooperative society elections by Dussehra. She said that steps are being taken to form new handloom cooperative societies and to make dormant societies active.
She also said that health insurance will be implemented for handlooms soon. Stating that CM Chandrababu Naidu is giving high priority to the welfare of handlooms, she said that steps are being taken with the support of the central government to increase the sales of handloom clothes.
She met weavers from all over the state at a private convention center in Vijayawada and asked them for suggestions for the development of the handloom sector and the problems they are facing. As promised in the elections, she recalled that 200 units of electricity for looms and 500 units of electricity for spinning looms are being provided free of cost.
Training is being provided in the preparation of new designs and exhibitions are being organized to provide market facilities for the manufactured products, she added. The Minister said that mini-customers and mega clusters are being set up and a new textiles policy has been brought.
Savitha said that 92,724 weavers who have completed 50 years of age are being given a pension of Rs. 4,000 under the NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme. SHe said that currently clothes are being purchased from weavers every six months through APCO. She revealed that clothes will be purchased every three months from now on.
She said that the dues to weavers are also being paid in installments and Rs. 5 crore allocated under the Thrift Scheme will also be released soon. Minister Savita said that MSME parks are being set up across the state as part of employment generation, where weavers are being given a big place in establishing units. The minister revealed that an additional Rs. 50,000 will be given to handloom weavers in house construction.
The Minister said that she will bring it to the attention of CM Chandrababu Naidu to set up the NHDS Regional Office in Vijayawada. She said that modern tools will be provided with 90 percent subsidy and that CM Chandrababu is the golden age for handloom weavers.
