Handloom welfare gets fresh push
VIJAYAWADA: Announcing that elections to APCO and handloom cooperative societies will be held shortly, minister for handlooms and textiles S Savitha has said the government is committed to strengthening the handloom sector and ensuring welfare of weavers.
Addressing the state-level birth anniversary celebrations of legendary handloom leader Pragada Kotayya at the Padmasali Kalyana Mandapam in Chirala on Sunday, the minister said the government would soon hold elections to handloom cooperative societies. This would be followed by elections to APCO.
Strengthening these institutions, she said, would provide greater support to weavers and workers, while pending dues of cooperative societies were also being cleared.
Minister Savitha announced that all eligible weavers, irrespective of age, would receive an annual financial assistance of `25,000 under the new 'Nethanna Sevalo' scheme. The scheme will be launched on August 7, National Handloom Day.
She said the government was also providing NTR Bharosa pensions of `4,000 to weavers aged above 50 and implementing the promised free power scheme, offering 200 units for handloom weavers and 500 units for powerloom workers.
She alleged that the previous YSR Congress government had diluted welfare by extending the Nethanna Nestham scheme to ineligible beneficiaries and party workers while scrapping several welfare initiatives introduced during the earlier TDP regime.
Paying rich tributes to Pragada Kotayya, Savitha described him as a tireless champion who fought throughout his life for the rights of handloom weavers. She recalled his role as MLA, MLC and Rajya Sabha member in raising weavers' issues in legislatures, leading four major handloom satyagrahas and facilitating the laying of foundation for the Chirala Spinning Mill by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The minister said the state government had declared Kotayya's birth anniversary a state festival to inspire future generations and announced that a `10-crore Pragada Kotayya Smruthivanam would be established in Amaravati. The minister also indicated that this year's National Handloom Day celebrations were likely to be organised in Chirala.
Savitha garlanded the statue of Pragada Kotayya and felicitated his family members, including his son Venkata Seshasai and other relatives. Local MLA Madduluri Mala Kondaiah, MLC Pothula Sunitha, principal secretary R.P. Sisodia, handlooms commissioner Rekha Rani, Bapatla collector Vinod Kumar and several public representatives attended the celebrations.
