Telangana govt to extend insurance coverage to weavers under 'Nethanna Ku Bima' Scheme

Hyderabad: The State government to extend insurance coverage tohandloom and powerloom weavers under Nethanna Ku Bima Scheme from August 7 – the National Handlooms Day.

Telangana was the first State in the country to extend insurance coverage to weavers, said Handlooms Minister KT Rama Rao in a statement issued here on Monday.

The State government has already issued orders to extend insurance coverage to weavers aged under 60 years under the Nethanna Ku Bima Scheme on par with farmers Rythu Bima Insurance Scheme.

Under the scheme, if any weaver dies due to any ailment or any untoward incident, then Rs 5 lakh insurance would be offered, he said, adding Telangana government was committed to the welfare of weavers in the State.

"The move to extend insurance coverage to weavers will instil some financial confidence among their families" Rama Rao said.

With the implementation of the insurance coverage scheme, nearly 80,000 handloom and powerloom and ancillary weavers will get benefited in the State. The insurance coverage would be extended to weavers in the age group of 18 to 59 years.

For effective implementation of the scheme, State-level and District-level committes would be constitued, the Minister said.

Since 2016-17, the Telangana Government has been sanctioning a special budget of Rs.1200 crore (through BC welfare) annually for the handlooms sector. This was in addition to the regular financial assistance being to handloom sector in the budget, he said.

In the 2022-23 financial year, the State Government has allocated Rs.55.12 crore to the handloom sector. In addition to this, Rs. 400 crore was sanctioned under Weaker Section welfare budget, he said.

As per the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the State Government was implementing Chenetha Mithra, Nethanna Ku Cheyutha (thrift fund scheme), loan waiver scheme, research and development and brand promotion programmes, Bathukamma sarees orders, weavers thrift fund, 50 percent subsidy on power utility by weavers, looms seva centres, worker to owner scheme, market incentives and other programmes, besides setting up Siricilla Textiles Park, Mini Textiles Park, Warangal, Sircilla Apparel Park and Handlooms Park, Gadwal, he added.