ONGOLE: Several sops announced by Chief Minister N. Cha-ndrababu Naidu to handloom weavers including revival of the ‘Janata Dhoti’ scheme and increase of subsidy on cotton yarn will increase sale of cotton saris, dhotis and dress materials in the domestic and international markets.
All the weavers will get continuous employment and better wages. The weavers’ co-operative societies will get market facility for saris and dhotis, shirts and dress material produced them. At least one lakh weavers will get employment and their standard of living will improve.
Sources informed that at present the weavers are producing Rs 7,500 crore worth saris and dhotis and exporting Rs 5,500 cro-re worth saris and shirts. The weavers in Chirala produce saris, shirts and dress material worth Rs 100 crore per year and export Rs 50 crore worth saris, dhotis to the US, Canada and other countries.
Assistant director of handlooms and textiles M. Rama Murthy Naidu says, “If Janata Dhoti scheme is revived, poor weavers will get continuous work and better wages. The APCO may purchase saris and dhotis from the weavers’ co-operative societies and sell through the fair price shops on subsidy. The APCO will make the payments to the societies within the stipulated time. The scheme is good for workers and weavers’ co-operative societies. There are 500 weavers’ co-operative societies in the state and 74 societies in the district.”
“During NTR regime, the government implemented Janata Dhoti scheme, the APCO used to purchase Janata dhotis and saris from the weavers’ co-operative societies and distributed through the fair price shop on subsidy. If subsidy is increased to 30 per cent on cotton yarn, it will boost sari, dhoti and dress material sales.”
A master weaver K. Narayana said, “If the subsidy on cotton yarn is increased to 30 per cent from 10 per cent, handlooms could able to compete in the international market. At present China and other countries are giving 70-percent subsidy on cotton yarn.”
