The Telangana Padmashali Sangham, Cheneta Karmika Sangham along with several handloom clusters in the district, are all set to demand that the government include handloom weaving under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and provide ‘Cheneta Bandhu’ investment support akin to agriculture’s Rythu Bandhu.
With dozen other demands, the delegation of handloom leadership here passed a resolution on Wednesday, and the same would be submitted to the State leaders ahead of the commencement of Assembly sessions on Monday.
Deliberating on the hardships being faced by weavers, including several leaders voluntarily taking up fast-unto-death and relay protests across the district, its leader M. Babu Rao said a handloom corporation should be set up and well-funded in the State to address their problems.
“Every geo-tagged handloom should be given a working capital, a yarn depot should be set up for regular supply of raw material, and under Nethannaku Cheyutha, member’s contribution should also be borne by the government,” he said.
Other leaders also pressed that handloom products and innovations should be utilised in the State programmes, such as the sarees in ‘KCR Kits’ and a Handloom Weavers’ Society (TSCO) gift coupon with Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak financial assistance schemes for the newly-weds.
