Welfare of handloom artisans priority for government, says Minister

Minister for Handlooms and Textiles S. Savitha on Sunday (March 22, 2026) said that development and welfare of handloom artisans in the State was a priority for the TDP-led coalition government.

The Minister visited the Gandhi Bunakar Mela (National Handloom Exhibition) – 2026 at Shesha Sai Kalyana Mandapam in Vijayawada. The Minister said that the government was implementing several welfare schemes to strengthen the handloom sector, in line with the promises made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the elections.

She said that recognising the hardships faced by handloom workers, the government has extended full support to them in the form of the exhibitions organised at the Secretariat during Assembly budget sessions and also during the Tirumala Brahmotsavams to promote handloom products. Subsidies on raw materials, net funds, and training in modern designs were being provided to boost the sector, she said, adding that additionally, up to 90% subsidy was being offered on purchase of equipment to enhance productivity.

The Minister noted that out of the 10 awards received by the State under the “One District – One Product” scheme, four were bagged by the handloom sector. Artisans from regions such as Venkatagiri, Dharmavaram, Uppada, Mangalagiri, Ponduru, Chirala, Pedana, Madhavaram, and Madanapalle are participating in the exhibition. Of the 112 stalls set up, 47 belonged to Andhra Pradesh, she said.

The Minister said that a monthly pension of ₹4,000 was being provided to handloom workers aged above 50 years. From April 1, free electricity up to 200 units for handlooms and 500 units for power looms would be provided.

She urged people to buy handloom clothes during festivals to support the artisans and noted that so far, sales worth about ₹47,35,000 had been recorded since March 18, and they were expected to reach ₹4 crore soon. The exhibition will continue till March 31, she said asking people from all sections to visit the exhibition.

Former ZPTC chairperson Gadde Anuradha said that the spirit of India lies in its threads, which symbolically bind the country together. She highlighted that handloom artisans transform their creativity into fabric and that the sector provided significant employment, next only to agriculture. She appreciated the government’s efforts in promoting the handloom sector.

Joint Director G. Rajarao and others were present at the event.