Now Reading: Andhra CM Naidu to launch Rs 179 crore handloom aid scheme
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Andhra CM Naidu to launch Rs 179 crore handloom aid scheme
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch the 'Netanna Sevalo' scheme in Chirala on Friday, National Handloom Day. Under the scheme, the government will provide Rs 25,000 each to 71,536…
The Story in Brief
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch the 'Netanna Sevalo' scheme in Chirala on Friday, National Handloom Day. Under the scheme, the government will provide Rs 25,000 each to 71,536 eligible handloom families, disbursing Rs 179 crore in total.
The state already gives 200 units of free electricity per month to handloom families and 500 units to powerloom units, costing Rs 150 crore annually. It also spends Rs 420 crore yearly on pensions of Rs 4,000 per month for 85,000 weavers aged 50 and above. Separately, BJP leader Pasupleti Suresh Singh and TDP leader Gutti Chinna Rao felicitated a weaver whose family has supplied turbans to the Srisailam temple for 100 years.
The Indian Opinion
The Rs 25,000 per family is a direct cash transfer, but the weaver's real problems are competition from powerlooms and synthetic fabrics. Free electricity and pensions help, but without cheaper credit or market linkages, the sector remains fragile. The real test will be whether the new Uppada infrastructure and Mangalagiri Handloom Park create jobs that outlast the election cycle. How many of those 71,536 families will still be weaving in five years? That is the number to watch.
Sources (2): newindianexpress.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
