VIJAYAWADA: Minister for BC Welfare, Handlooms and Excise Kollu Ravindra here Sunday said that they were planning to set up 31 mini handloom clusters in Andhra Pradesh as the Centre had agreed for the proposal and added that three mega clusters will also be established for the benefit of the handloom weavers.
Inaugurating a renovated mega showroom of Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Ltd (APCO) here Sunday, he said that another showroom for the city is under consideration soon and the APCO is planning open five more showrooms across the state.
It is said that 1.50 lakh handloom weavers are working in the state and the APCO is making a turnover of `458 crore.
I&PR minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said that the State government would soon announce a textile policy to encourage the industry.
Irrigation minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, APCO Chairman M Hanumantha Rao, APCO Director Giri Sankar, MLAs Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Gadde Ramamohana Rao, MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao and others attended the inauguration programme.