Welfare Board for weavers soon in Andhra: Atchennaidu

Rajamahendravaram: BC Welfare Minister K Atchennaidu has said that the government is establishing Weavers Welfare Board (WWB) for the benefit of weaving community in the State shortly and the Board would strive for the upliftment of weavers.

Participating in a meeting held at the government college grounds in connection with Adarana expo here on Friday, he said only one lakh weavers are availing the welfare schemes out of 24 lakh weavers in the state.

Divisional and district level expos will be held across the state to bring awareness among the artisans on government schemes.

For each unit the government will give 70 percent subsidy, the Board 20 per cent and the share of the beneficiary is 10 per cent, he said and added that the government would consider the demand of weavers to enhance the unit cost to Rs 1 lakh from the existing Rs 30,000 along with giving of subsidy on power to the units. In the last four years an amount of of Rs 12,800 crore was spent on BC welfare and Rs 12,000 under BC Sub-plan, he said.

The number of the BC residential schools would be increased to 110 from the existing 34 schools in the state and the mess charges were increased to Rs 1.450 per month from Rs 800, he said.

Earlier, he visited the stalls arranged by 54 companies with various implements. MLCs Reddy Subramanyam, Adireddy Appa Rao, Mayor Rajani Sesha Sai, MLAs G Buchaiah Choudary, J Nehru, Collector Karthikeya Misra, Joint Collector A Mallikarjauna, BC Corporation executive director M Jyothi and others were present.