VIJAYAWADA: All set for the fourth edition of YSR Nethanna Nestham, under which 80,546 weavers will be provided a financial assistance of Rs 193.31 crore. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will credit the amount directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries at a programme to be held at Pedana in Krishna district on Thursday.
Weaver owning a loom is being provided Rs 24,000 per year under the scheme. Jagan, who promised to assist handloom weavers and made it a part of his election manifesto, has been implementing Nethanna Nestham for the past three years.
Including the latest assistance of Rs 193.31 crore, a total of Rs 776.13 crore has been spent on the scheme. Besides, Rs 879.8 crore has been provided as pensions to weavers and Rs 393.3 crore has been paid to APCO. A total of Rs 2,049.2 crore has been spent on the welfare of handloom weavers in the last three years.The main objective of the scheme is to help weavers sustain and stand on their own feet. In the last three years, every eligible weaver has received an aid of Rs 96,000.
According to officials, weavers have upgraded their looms to double jacquard and jacquard lifting machines with the aid, allowing them to come up with new designs and thus making handloom weaving a profitable occupation. The weavers who used to earn Rs 4,680 per month in 2018-19, are now getting Rs 15,000 per month.
Further, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government has not only cleared Rs 103 crore dues to APCO, but also paid a total of Rs 290.30 crore to APCO for weavers welfare. Handloom products from the State are being marketed through e-commerce entities like Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Mirra and Paytm, after entering into an agreement with them.
In fact, taking a humanitarian stance, the State government had provided assistance to the weavers six months before the scheduled date (December) in 2020 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.