Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asserted that the coalition government's primary objective was to double the income of handloom artisans in Andhra Pradesh. He was speaking at the 11th National Handloom Day celebrations here.

The Chief Minister declared that financial aid of Rs 25,000 per year would be given to each weaver family under the 'Nethanna Bharosa' scheme. He later visited the Weavershala, which was established with the support of Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh, and interacted with artisans, who showed him their products.

Reaffirming that the coalition government had been fulfilling its election promises, including those made to the handloom community, he confirmed that, starting this month, 200 units of electricity will be provided free for handlooms and 500 units for power looms. This initiative will benefit 93,000 handloom-owning families and 50,000 power loom-owning families, while costing the government an additional Rs 190 crore annually. He pointed out that the TDP government was the first to introduce a pension for weavers at age 50. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the government would reimburse the 5 per cent GST on handloom products -- a move that will cost the state Rs 15 crore per year. A Thrift Fund of Rs 5 crore will also be established to benefit 5,386 handloom artisans.

In a move to preserve the industry's heritage, a Handloom Museum will be set up in Amaravati. The government will also officially celebrate the birth anniversary of handloom weavers’ leader Pragada Kotaiah as a state event and install a bronze statue in his honor at a Handloom circle near the NRI Hospital on the Vijayawada-Guntur highway, he said.