Marking National Handloom Day, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a sweeping welfare package for Andhra Pradesh’s weaving community, including an annual financial assistance of ₹25,000 per family under the Nethanna Bharosa scheme and free electricity—200 units for handlooms and 500 units for powerlooms—benefiting over 1.43 lakh families at a cost of ₹190 crore annually.
Addressing weavers at the Weavershala in Mangalagiri, Naidu said his government was committed to doubling weavers’ incomes despite financial constraints. He promised to reimburse the 5% GST on handloom products, establish a ₹5 crore thrift fund, and set up a Handloom Museum in Amaravati.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s rich textile heritage—from Mangalagiri and Venkatagiri to Ponduru and Pedana—Naidu praised weavers as the custodians of culture, recalling Gandhi’s admiration for Ponduru Khadi. He accused the previous YSRCP regime of neglecting the sector by halting APCO procurement and removing subsidies.
The CM also announced official observance of pioneering handloom activist Pragada Kotaiah’s birth anniversary, with a bronze statue to be installed near Vijayawada.
Backing the BC community, Naidu unveiled a slew of welfare measures: 200 units of free power for salons benefiting 40,000 shops, ₹47,456 crore earmarked for BC welfare, increased wages for temple priests, reserved licenses for toddy tappers and quarry leases for Vadderas, and dairy incentives for Yadavs. He vowed to fight for 33% legislative reservation for BCs.
Minister Nara Lokesh, credited with grassroots work for weavers in Mangalagiri, was lauded for his efforts, including providing advanced looms and setting up the Weavershala.
Naidu concluded by reaffirming the TDP’s historical bond with weavers and BCs, declaring, “When in power, we uplifted you; in opposition, we fought for you.”