VIJAYAWADA: The coalition government’s efforts to strengthen the handloom sector and reinforce APCO are yielding positive results as APCO exchanged an agreement with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Under this agreement, APCO will supply ‘kanduvas’, shawls, and cotton blouse pieces to be distributed to devotees who visit Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala during Vedic blessings.
The official order copy has been issued to APCO by TTD’s marketing department. This is the first time in APCO’s history that it has received such an order from TTD.
In the first phase, TTD officials placed an order to APCO to supply 3,000 ‘kanduvas’, 5,000 shawls, 90,000 cotton upper garments, and 75,000 cotton blouse pieces. TTD also directed that the words “Om Namo Venkatesaya” be printed in both Telugu and Sanskrit on the ‘kanduvas’, shawls, and cotton blouses supplied.
At present, Co-optex of Tamil Nadu supplies ‘kanduvas’, shawls, and cotton blouse pieces to TTD. After the coalition government came to power, efforts were made to ensure that APCO received the TTD order as part of the objective of providing year-round employment to weavers.
The role of Handlooms and Textiles Minister S Savitha and departmental officials in securing this order is significant.
Savitha described the agreement between APCO and TTD as historic.”
Savitha stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s goal is to ensure 365 days of employment and financial security for weavers.
The Minister congratulated the Handlooms and Textiles Department officials who played a key role in finalising the agreement. She also thanked TTD Chairman BR Naidu and the Trust Board for taking a decision beneficial to the weavers of Andhra Pradesh.