Nethannala Sevalo Deadline Extended to Oct. 3

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has extended the deadline for identifying beneficiaries under the second phase of the Nethannala Sevalo scheme to October 3.

This was announced on Thursday by the handlooms and textiles minister S Savitha.

The extension was necessitated by the need to complete the scrutiny of applications and identify eligible beneficiaries. The original deadline ended on Sept 30.

The government received 36,632 applications from across the state for the second phase. Handloom officials have been directed to visit applicants’ homes and verify their details to ensure transparency in the selection process, the minister said.

Savitha made it clear that no eligible weaver should be denied assistance and said officials would be held responsible for ensuring a fair selection.

The second phase of the scheme would be implemented shortly, with financial assistance being offered to all eligible weavers, she said.

The scheme was launched on August 7 on the occasion of National Handloom Day. In the first phase, 71,536 beneficiaries received financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each. The alliance government was giving high priority to the welfare of handloom weavers, Savitha said.

She said, “Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is implementing several welfare and development programmes aimed at improving the weavers’ financial well-being. The government is already providing free power to weavers and new pensions for them would also be sanctioned soon.”