Make use of handloom museum coming up in Uppal, KTR urges Pochampally weavers

HYDERABAD: Telangana Minister for Handlooms and Textiles KT Rama Rao (KTR) has announced that a handloom and handicraft museum is being established in Uppal and called upon the weavers from Pochampally to make the best use of it.

Participating at Chenetha Vaarotsavalu in Pochampally, held as part of National Handloom Day Celebrations on Saturday, KTR listed out the welfare done by the State Government for handloom weavers including a 50 percent subsidy on yarn and chemicals under Cheneta Mitra, Nethanna ku Cheyutha savings scheme, insurance for handloom weavers on the line of Ryhtu Bima. Implementation of all these schemes is a testimony of KCR’s commitment towards the welfare and development of handloom weavers in the State, he said.

KTR said that the State Government had purchased the Pochampally Handloom Park at a cost of Rs 12.50 crore and would be reopened at the earliest. Under the Chenetha Mitra scheme, Rs 3,000 would be disbursed directly to the bank accounts of handloom weavers. Apart from that, measures were being taken to increase the insurance cover to the handloom weavers up to 75 years from existing 60 years. Around 26,000 families were given Rs 96 crores during the COVID-19 pandemic without completing the maturity, he said.

The minister said that Rs 25,000 was being provided by the State Government for handloom weavers to avail outpatient ward (OP) services under Telangana Chenetha Health Card. There was an urgent need to replace the traditional handloom machines with advanced ones. In this regard, ‘Chenetha Maggam’ programme would be introduced at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore, he said and added that identity cards would be given to the handloom weavers and measures were being taken to increase the ex gratia for weaver members to Rs 25,000 from Rs 5,000.

KTR said that the State Government would take the responsibility of providing a platform on the global market for the handloom products of Telangana. The Pochampally Handloom Park was spread across 22 acres and steps were being taken to bring back from losses. The ownership and profits earned through the handloom park would be given to handloom weavers in Pochampally mandal, he said.

“After agriculture, the handloom sector provides employment to most people. Handloom weavers in Telangana have the capacity to design a saree that can fit in a match box. The BRS Government is committed to the welfare of handloom weavers and continues its support to the handloom sector who are depending on it,” KTR asserted.