metro india news  I Amaravati

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday pledged full support to the state's weavers and handloom traditions, commemorating National Handloom Day with a series of announcements aimed at uplifting the sector.

"Greetings on National Handloom Day! Today, we celebrate the skilled artisans who weave our culture and heritage into vibrant tapestries, preserving it for generations. We take immense pride in our rich handloom tradition and pledge to support it in every possible way," Naidu said in a post on 'X'.

The chief minister said Andhra Pradesh’s weavers are not only preserving the past but also weaving the state’s future. "By supporting them, we are safeguarding a vital part of our cultural identity," he added. As part of the Handloom Day celebrations, the TDP chief visited stalls showcasing handwoven fabrics and products at the Mangalagiri Handlooms Centre in Guntur district.

He examined saris and other textiles produced by various weaving clusters across the state. Addressing a public meeting later, Naidu announced that the TDP-led NDA government would begin offering 200 units of free electricity to handloom units and 500 units to power loom units starting this month. The initiative is expected to benefit 93,000 handloom families and 50,000 power loom families.

"This will cost the government Rs 190 crore, but that is not an issue. Whatever we do for weavers will never be enough," Naidu said. Referring to the impact of GST on woven fabrics, he reiterated his government’s commitment to reimburse the five percent GST, which will cost around Rs 15 crore. Under the monthly welfare pension scheme, 93,000 weavers are currently receiving a total of Rs 546 crore, Naidu noted.

He also promised an additional benefit of Rs 25,000 under the ‘Nethanna Bharosa’ scheme, asserting that the standard of living for weavers must improve. Highlighting the need for an innovation-driven ecosystem for weavers, Naidu said many industrial houses, including the Tata Group, and several designers are coming forward to collaborate. He directed officials to empanel these designers and introduce traceability features so buyers can know the origin and time of production of each fabric.

He also said the government is leveraging the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to boost the weavers’ market reach, with 2,000 products already registered on the platform. If implemented successfully, these initiatives could help double weavers’ income, Naidu said, adding that "the TDP was the first to introduce pensions for weavers at the age of 50."

He also announced that Rs 74 crore had been spent on developing weaving clusters in Venkatagiri, Mangalagiri, Uppada, Kalahasti, and Rajam, and promised to establish a handloom museum in the greenfield capital city of Amaravati. Naidu further claimed that during the TDP’s previous term (2014-2019), the government had waived off weavers’ debts to the tune of Rs 110 crore.