HANAMKONDA: After a wait of over six years, the Kakatiya Weavers Cooperative Society (KWCS) has finally begun saree production at the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park. However, the park is yet to be officially inaugurated by Handlooms and Textile Minister KT Rama Rao. Situated on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Madikonda village of Hanamkonda district, the textile park has over 364 power loom units spread over 60 acres of area. It provides direct employment to 5,000 people while 4,000 others are indirectly employed.
The officials of Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) said 364 weaver families came forward to set up power loom units for which the government body handed over 60 acres of land with layout and basic facilities like roads, street lights, and drainage. The weavers came together to form the KWCS and establish power loom units at the textile park, said officials.
Speaking to TNIE, KWCS president Darga Swamy said the 364 members of the society had returned to their native place after learning the techniques in Surat, Gujarat. The State government helped the weavers become entrepreneurs with their own power looms, he added. He said the Central government gives a subsidy of Rs 8 crore through the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Rs 2 crore from the society is invested for the development of the textile park.
He said 364 clusters were successfully set up with the support of the State government and handed over to beneficiaries. Each unit is spread over 450 square metres, he added. As many as 160 weavers received bank loan approval and installed the machinery and equipment to start the power loom, while the remaining 200 members are waiting for loan approval from their respective banks. The weavers have started manufacturing sarees in their units, said Swamy.
Booming Madikonda
With the setting up of IT companies and other industries, Madikonda is set to become an employment hub. The air and train connectivity due to its proximity to Warangal will only aid Warangal’s growth. Residents believe that once the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park opens formally, it will provide employment to many people.