Hyderabad: On the occasion of National Handloom day on Monday, Telangana Handlooms and Textiles minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) announced a slew of welfare initiatives for weavers in the state.
KTR rolled out the Telangana Chenetha Maggam scheme, which aims to replace all existing pit looms with frame looms. About Rs 40.50 crores will be spent on the scheme, with each loom being replaced at a cost of Rs 38,000.
The minister also laid foundation stones for Handlooms Convention Centre and Handloom and Handicraft Museum at Uppal Bhagayath. The museum aims to showcase tools used in handloom since ancient times, while the convention center is designed to host gatherings for handloom buyers and sellers.
Health cards will be issued to weavers with an annual coverage of Rs. 25,000, KTR said.
He also added that the existing Nethannaku Bima insurance scheme will be extended to weavers aged between 59-75 years by integrating it with Nethannaku Cheyutha Scheme.
Under the revised Chenetha Mitra scheme, Rs 3000 will be directly deposited in the accounts of weavers. Earlier, weavers were provided with a 50 percent subsidy on purchase of yarn, dyes and chemicals, under the scheme.
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