HYDERABAD: Handlooms and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday said that the Telangana handloom industry occupies a unique place in the country with the special creations of its handloom weavers. While virtually taking part in the opening ceremony of the Handloom Expo, he said: “The main objective of National Handloom Day (August &) is to recognise the importance of handloom products, patronise, promote and ensure that the weavers are paid decent wages.”
“The State government is organising this wonderful programme to honour the handloom workers and has allocated adequate funds to celebrate this occasion. No other State government has allocated such funds.”
“To mark the occasion, a 10-day national-level handloom exhibition is being organised. The handloom associations from Telangana and other States have set up their exhibits. They are encouraged to display and sell the handloom clothes they weave,” he said. “In order to recognise the skill of weavers and encourage them, the State government instituted awards in the name of Konda Laxman Bapuji in 2018.
The cash prize has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 from last year. This year we have selected and felicitated 28 handloom weavers from all over the State. So far we have honoured a total of 131 handloom weavers.”He also said that in the past four years, special fund allocations were made under the BC welfare budget to help the weavers.
Hyderabad police chief flaunts handloom attire
On National Handloom Day, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand Sunday took up the challenge from bureaucrat Samita Sabarwal and posted two of his pictures in which he was seen wearing handloom attire. He tweeted: “Hi @SmitaSabharwal feeling great to accept this handloom challenge because it’s close to my heart as Pochampally is very close to my mother’s village and they used to cross several rivulets and vaagulu to reach Pochampally to buy sarees in my childhood in the 1970s(sic)”.