Ruling NDA Alliance fulfils Pre-Poll Free Power Promise To Weavers In AP
Nagari had once been a thriving textile hub. It has nearly 16,000 powerlooms supporting around 25,000 families.
TIRUPATI: The long-pending demand of handloom weavers and powerloom owners in Nagari constituency for free electricity has finally been fulfilled with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s announcement in this regard on Wednesday,
Nagari had once been a thriving textile hub. It has nearly 16,000 powerlooms supporting around 25,000 families. Along with Madanapalle and Satyavedu in the erstwhile Chittoor district, Nagari has traditionally been in textile production.
Powerlooms came to Nagari in 1976, marking a shift from handlooms. Soon, the region grew into one of the largest clusters in the country after Gujarat. Textile units in Nagari reached their peak when they received bulk orders from domestic and international firms. Textile workers from places, such as Salem and Erode in Tamil Nadu, migrated to Nagari for employment.
Over time, however, the sector has declined due to rising costs, lack of modernisation and falling demand. Weavers in Nagari continued with ageing machinery, while competitors in Tamil Nadu adopted advanced auto looms and improved technology. The reduced competitiveness of Nagari led to a steady fall in orders. The situation worsened in recent years due to increasing electricity charges, including true-up costs.
Weavers also point to policy changes, including the shift from cottage industry Category-4 to Category-3, which resulted in higher tariffs and loss of subsidies. The COVID-19 pandemic further deepened the crisis, leaving many units financially strained.
Weavers have been staging protests since 2012 demanding free power, withdrawal of additional duty charges and policy support. Ahead of the 2024 elections, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu promised free electricity to the sector. Fulfilling the poll promise, the state government has now implemented 200 units of free power for handlooms and 500 units for powerlooms.
Nagari MLA Gali Bhanu Prakash said the measure would support weavers facing financial difficulties. “The scheme is expected to benefit about 14,500 powerloom units and 450 handloom families in the region”, he stated.
The MLA visited powerloom units in Kothapeta and distributed pamphlets on the scheme. In turn, weavers thanked the MLA and said the move would reduce their production costs. However, they maintain that long-term revival will depend on modernisation, stable policies, and better market access for the sector.
