Telangana Industries and IT Minister K T Rama Rao today said that the TRS government would continue to subsidise the input costs of the handloom sector to help the weavers of the state.
Speaking at a program organised to address the issues of the handloom sector, he said, "Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is known for his commitment to the welfare of the artisans and weavers of Telangana. Guided by his ideals, we have spent about Rs 95 crore towards subsidies so far. This has benefitted 25,000 weavers. We will continue to stand by the weavers in the same fashion by implementing the existing welfare schemes intended to benefit them. The Bathukamma sarees scheme will also be continued as this has helped many weavers find a stable source of income. Besides this, we are also working on establishing a mini textile park in Kodakandla in Warangal district, after having initiated the works for the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, to further bolster the textile sector."
"With the establishment of the mini textile park, as many as 20,000 weavers will be able to return to their traditional livelihoods instead of migrating to low-income and exploitative livelihoods. The government will soon also offer various other livelihood opportunities to the weavers," he added.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister E Dayakar Rao, who was also present at the meeting, expressed his gratitude to the CM and KTR for working towards the welfare of the weavers.
He also said that he hoped that the new textile park would stimulate the growth of the handloom sector, and make the artisans' livelihoods profitable.
Minister K T Rama Rao has been heavily involved in developing the handloom and textiles sector of the state. He recently urged union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani to
extend funds for the development of the sector, saying that Telangana was a state with a rich cultural heritage in handlooms, and that such developments would help a large number of artisans find secure employment opportunities.