Govt announces free power for weavers from April 1
Vijayawada: The state government on Thursday announced a free electricity scheme for handloom and power loom weavers, to be implemented from April 1.
Under the scheme, handloom weavers will receive 200 units of free power every month, while power loom operators will get 500 units. The initiative is expected to benefit more than one lakh weaver families across the state.
Handlooms and textiles minister S Savitha told the media at the Secretariat on Thursday the scheme would impose an annual burden of about Rs 85 crore on the state exchequer. Savitha said a total of 1,03,534 families would benefit from the scheme, including 93,000 handloom households and 10,534 power loom families. She said handloom weavers would save around Rs 720 per month and Rs 8,640 annually, while power loom operators would save nearly Rs 1,800 per month and Rs 21,600 per year.
The minister said the government was giving top priority to the welfare of weavers. Pensions of Rs 4,000 are being provided to weavers above 50 years of age, benefiting 87,280 people.
The increase from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 is giving each beneficiary an additional Rs 12,000 per year, she said. She also said Rs 7 crore in pending dues had been cleared to handloom cooperative societies through APCO in the last two months.
An amount of Rs 1.67 crore has been released as the first instalment of the Thrift Fund this year. A 15 per cent subsidy on yarn is being provided through the National Handloom Development Corporation, and processing charges have been increased, she added.
The minister said the government was working to ensure year-round employment for weavers. Agreements have been signed with Co-optex, Tata Taneria, and Birla Adya to generate regular work.
Sales of ready-made garments through APCO and online platforms have also expanded job opportunities. She said a Unity Mall is being built in Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 172 crore. Textile parks are planned in Emmiganur, Rayadurgam, Mylavaram, and Pamidi, while a mega textile park will come up in Mangalagiri.
A mega cluster is under construction in Dharmavaram at a cost of Rs 30 crore, and another is planned in Pithapuram. Ten mini-clusters are also being set up across the State. Highlighting national recognition, the minister said Andhra Pradesh won four handloom awards under the ODOP scheme and secured a gold medal for its textile development efforts. “Our goal is to ensure a dignified and secure livelihood for every weaver,” Savitha said.
