Guv assures help to handloom workers

Pochampally: Governor ESL Narasimhan assured the handloom workers that he would try his level best to get all sorts of help from the State government.

The Governor along with family members on Wednesday toured Pochampally and Choutuppal mandals in the district.

As part of his tour, Narasimhan held a meeting at Pochampally Rural Tourism Park and interacted with bankers, women of Self Help Groups, master weavers, societies. He inquired about the status of handlooms, handloom workers and steps to be taken to improve the sector.

Describing the work of handlooms as marvelous, he advised weavers to come up with contemporary designs and grab opportunities globally. He advised them to bring international image to Pochampally through their sarees.

Explaining the economic strategy, he informed that increase in production as per the demand and increase in sales with increased production would fetch them profits.

He suggested the bankers to help handloom sector as much as possible and advised to provide Mudra loans to handloom workers. Advising bankers to open Jana Dhan accounts with all eligible, the Governor directed the official concerned to go for geotagging to all looms for the welfare of weavers.

During the interaction with handloom workers and women of SHGs, he inquired about getting rice from fair price shops and income from their work. He suggested the societies representatives to take steps to improve workers income from Rs 10,000 to 20,000. Handloom workers urged the Governor to improve marketing facilities for increasing sales. They also urged to provide free education to their children.

Later, the Governor visited Swamy Ramananda Thirtha Rural Institute and examined the skills of students getting trained in automobiles, electronics, garments and electrical departments and advised them to improve skills and get settled in their lives.

The Governor also visited the house of an handloom worker Istari in Pochampally and examined his work. Later, Narasimhan along with his wife Vimala visited model Anganwadi centre in Dandu Malkapuram village in Choutuppal mandal and tasted the food prepared for the children.

They also visited the Girls Social Welfare School in Choutuppal and advised the students about importance of education and moral values. They also visited the Mega Handloom Cluster at Kanumukkula of Pochampally and bought the handloom clothes.

District Collector Anita Ramachandran, Minister Jagadish Reddy, MP Boora Narasaiah Goud, Joint Collector Ravi Naik welcomed the Governor couple at Kanumukkula.