Saree Distribution Under Indira Mahila Shakti Soon

Telangana Handloom and Textiles Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao today announced that handloom workers were set to enter a promising new chapter under the Congress administration, with plans to distribute Indiramma Mahila Shakti sarees across the State for free in the near future.

The minister held a review meeting at the Secretariat with the Principal Secretary of the Handloom and Textiles Department, Sailaja Ramaiyer, and senior officials from Textiles Tesco.

To facilitate the distribution of 64,69,192 Mahila Shakti sarees across Telangana, approximately 4.34 crore metres of fabric were required, of which around 3.65 crore metres had already been produced by powerloom workers, Rao said. So far, 33.35 lakh sarees had been delivered to district-level warehouses, he added.

He also said that the Indira Mahila Shakti initiative had created employment for 6,900 weavers over six to eight months for the saree production, with monthly earnings ranging from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000.

The minister instructed officials to get the production of the sarees completed by November 15 and have them moved to the district godowns in preparation for their distribution.

Rao also directed officials to expedite the loan waiver process for handloom workers, ensuring that verification was completed promptly and the funds were deposited into their accounts. He said that 6,780 handloom workers would be relieved of debt through a personal loan waiver of up to Rs 1 lakh each through this effort.

The minister also instructed officials to commence work immediately to relocate the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, currently operating temporarily in Hyderabad, to the Pochampally Handloom Park in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.