Paturu handloom cluster revival to benefit 200 weaver families

The ‘Paturu’ handloom weave, once considered a symbol of pride, is set to make a comeback soon, with the Government of India sanctioning ₹76.32 lakh for reviving the handloom cluster. Paturu and Gummalladibba villages in Kovur mandal of SPSR Nellore district collectively have 200 families that eke out a livelihood through handloom weaving.

The once-famous ‘Paturu’ brand suffered a setback in the recent years due to various reasons, including the artisans failing to grapple with modern trends, and the absence of proper hands-on training in creating modern designs.

In connection with this, Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy met the Union Minister for Textiles, Giriraj Singh, with an appeal to establish a cluster in Paturu under the Small Cluster Development Programme (SCDP), as part of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), in November last year.

As the project started taking shape, 84 weaver families got modern equipment worth ₹28 lakh in the first phase, involving a whopping 90 per cent subsidy. The State government, on its part, has agreed to bear the 5 per cent GST on the finished goods, thus making the end product further remunerative.

Mr. Reddy, accompanied by his spouse and the local MLA Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy, visited Paturu village recently to formally hand over the equipment to the weavers and also extend MUDRA loans worth ₹25 lakh to 25 beneficiaries.

“Four weaver sheds will be established in this cluster at a cost of ₹5 crore to train the aspiring artisans in modern and creative designs,” Mr. Prabhakar Reddy said. Meanwhile, Ms. Prashanti Reddy announced to bear the weavers’ share of 10 per cent cost of the equipment, making it virtually a free facility for the 200 families.