Hyderabad: On Thursday, Textiles Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao instructed officials to gather clothing orders from all government departments and corporations by September for the coming year.
He emphasized that clothes already ordered by government departments should be delivered quickly. Work orders from Tesco for associations should also be issued immediately to ensure timely production. The Minister reviewed the performance of schemes aimed at supporting handloom workers and stressed that weavers should have continuous work throughout the year. Production of Mahila Shakti sarees, provided by self-help groups, should be sped up with special officers overseeing the process.
Textiles Department Principal Secretary Shailaja Ramayyar informed the Minister about various ongoing schemes. As of now, 33,913 handloom workers have signed up for the Telangana Netanna Savings Scheme. Under this, if workers deposit 8% of their wages in banks, the government adds 16% in RD-11 accounts. For weavers’ safety, a ₹5 lakh insurance is available for nominees of workers who die due to accidents or natural causes. Since August 14, 2024, ₹9.70 crore has been given to the families of 194 deceased handloom workers. The state has set aside ₹48.8 crore for the Telangana Netanna Insurance Scheme.
Registration of weavers will continue, and once done, each weaver on geo-tagged looms will receive ₹18,000 annually. The government has released ₹33 crore to waive weavers’ personal loans, benefiting 5,691 weavers across the state. The verification process will soon complete, and funds will be distributed.
The Minister also stressed the need to improve TESCO showrooms and merge loss-making ones with profitable outlets. Effective use of human resources in the Telangana Handicrafts Organization is crucial for its development.
Gajam Narmada and Guda Pawan from Puttapaka village, Narayanapuram mandal, Yadadri district were honored with shawls for winning the National Handloom Award-2024, as announced by the Union Ministry of Handlooms and Textiles.
