THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will distribute free handloom school uniforms to students of government schools from May 2.The uniforms made from around 23 lakh metres of cloth will be distributed to around 4.5 lakh students from Classes I to VII enrolled in a total of 3,701 schools in the state. The uniform distribution has been envisaged under the government’s scheme, Free Handloom School Uniform, for helping the general education sector and the handloom sector.
Industries Minister A C Moideen visited the Hantex emporium in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday and reviewed the arrangements. According to Moideen, the LDF Government had succeeded in rehabilitating several traditional handloom labourers by hiking their basic wages from Rs 400 to Rs 600 on a daily basis. He said all the labourers get jobs only through the school uniform scheme. The government has dispensed around Rs 40 crore to the labourers.
“The previous UDF Government had ignored the handloom sector. Our government has made the efforts to protect the handloom sector. The distribution of uniforms from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam districts will be made through Hantex and the distribution from Thrissur to Kasargod will be made through Hanweave,” Moideen said. Hantex Managing Director A Anilkumar, president Peringammala Vijayan accompanied the Minister.