Over 10,000 handloom weavers in A.P. benefit from NHDP

The Union Ministry of Textiles has released ₹19.47 crore for the development of 44 Handloom Clusters in Andhra Pradesh under the five-year National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), benefitting as many as 10.047 handloom weavers.

Responding to a question by Kakinada MP T. Uday Srinivas on the aid from the Centre for the handloom sector development in the State over the past five years, Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh claimed on March 24; “The second installment of the aid will be given to ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh, for which ₹19.47 crore aid was given under the NHDP over the past five years”.

Of the 44 Handloom Clusters in the State, Guntur has the highest number of five clusters, four including two in Ponduru in Srikakulam district and nine in the Godavari region. 

As per the Fourth All India Handloom Census-2020, the total number of handloom weavers in the State was 1,27,662 and above 49,000 people are engaged in the handloom and allied activities in the State.