Hyderabad: Minister for Agriculture, Handlooms and Textiles Tummala Nageswara Rao on Monday said the Congress government is providing 365 days of work for weavers through targeted welfare schemes and steady funding.
Speaking in Rajanna Sircilla, he said the government has released nearly ₹1,000 crore to the handloom sector since coming to power. He pointed to the “Handloom Abhayahastam Scheme”, where the state matches workers’ savings. In 2024–25, 36,133 workers received ₹290.09 crore, and power loom workers got ₹34.07 crore.
Schemes like Netanna Bharosa, Abhayahastam aimed at sustained work for weavers
Under “Netanna Bharosa”, handloom weavers receive ₹18,000 a year, while allied workers get ₹6,000. The government allocated ₹12 crore for this scheme in the current year. Through “Netanna Bhadhrata”, each weaver’s family gets an insurance cover of ₹5 lakh. So far, the scheme has supported 401 families with ₹20.05 crore.
Tummala also spoke about the “Indira Mahila Shakti Sarees Scheme”, which creates year-round work by producing two free sarees for 65 lakh SHG women each year. He said the Konda Laxman Bapuji Indian Institute of Handloom Technology and the new yarn depot in Vemulawada are building a unique Telangana handloom identity. Currently, 120 students are enrolled in the institute’s three-year diploma for weavers’ children.
