National Handloom Day: Telangana weavers to get Rs 3,000 per loom from September

HYDERABAD: Starting from September this year, every loom in the State would receive financial assistance of Rs 3, 000 per month under the revised ‘Cheneta Mitra’ scheme, said Minister for Handlooms and Textiles KT Rama Rao (KTR) at the National Handloom Day State-level celebrations in Manneguda on Monday.

KTR enlisted various schemes initiated and implemented by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the upliftment of the weaver community. “While the Modi Government at the Centre imposed 5 percent GST on handlooms, our Chief Minister who studied while living in a weaver’s family and well versed with their problems, launched a plethora of schemes for the community,” KTR observed.

He said that the Government announced an insurance scheme ‘Netanna Bima’ on the lines of ‘Rytu Bima’ for handloom workers. “Under the scheme, every weaver who has attained 59 years of age will be covered under the scheme. Every weaver will also receive Rs 25,000 worth of ‘Cheneta’ health card to seek emergency health care,” the Minister said.

The Minister also announced that under 'Telangana Cheneta Maggam' scheme a quantum of Rs 40.50 crore was set aside for the establishment of frame looms in the State and each beneficiary would receive financial assistance of Rs 38,000. He said that weavers in the State would receive identity cards, and very soon the ‘Griha Lakshmi’ scheme would be extended to the weaving community. Similarly, the Telangana State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (TSCO) had increased ex gratia for weaver members to Rs 25,000.

The Minister laid the foundation for a Handloom Museum in Uppal Bhagayat and said the Government would soon upgrade the Handloom Park in Pochampally at a cost of Rs 12.60 crore. Predicting a coalition government at the Centre, KTR said that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) would then bring back all the weaver welfare scheme scrapped by the Modi Government.