Good response to 'handloom once a week' plan: T'gana IT Sec

Hyderabad, Jan 14 (PTI) The Telangana government's appeal to the state's large IT workforce to wear handloom garments at least once a week is getting a good response.

The initiative, which began with an appeal made by state IT Minister K T Rama Rao last year, is getting a good response, IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said.

"Some impressive numbers have come (of those who started wearing handloom clothes). We are happy that the industry has responded to our request," he told PTI.

Following the government's initiative, Satyanarayana Mathala, president of Facilities Management Council (FMC), Telangana, had taken up the task to coordinate and reach out to about 4.50 lakh-strong IT and ITeS (Information Technology and Information Technology-enabled Services) employees in the city towards popularizing handloom wear.

As part of the initiative, the FMC Telangana,a professional body of the facility management industry in the state, had announced a "Handloom Monday" in the IT industry.

Its members had also cycled five kms last month in the IT hub of the city to promote the day.

A three-day IT handloom Mela was organised by the group at the Art and Cultural Centre, Phoenix Arena at Hitech City here last month which Satyanarayana said was a success with sales to the tune of around Rs 8 lakh.

Around 20 companies were covered during the event which had witnessed a footfall of 10,000 employees, he told PTI today. "We say that if you are wearing it, wear it with pride and not due to sympathy (for handloom weavers)," he said.

Satyanarayana added that the FMC would be organising another event this month-end at Raheja IT Park where about 100 companies are located.

"The target is to cover to at least 50,000 employees this month out of one lakh working there. Even if 50,000 come in, it will be a great success," he said.

The plan, he said, is to have one event every month and also to get IT companies to adopt an HR policy where its employees would be asked to wear handloom garments once every week. PTI SJR BNM .

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.