
Government committed to provide impetus to handlooms and textiles sector, says Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu
The Hindu
Congress government supports handloom and textiles sector, providing livelihood to weavers and promoting Sircilla craftsmanship.
Minister for IT and Industries D. Sridhar Babu has said the Congress government is steadfastly striving to give an impetus to the handloom and textiles sector, provide sustainable livelihood to the weavers and bring nation-wide recognition to the rich craftsmanship of Sircilla weavers.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of an export-oriented Apparel Manufacturing Unit of Punctuate World Private Limited, a subsidiary unit of Bengaluru-based Texport Industries Private Limited in the Apparel Park at Peddur village near Sircilla town on Friday. Minister for Agriculture, Handlooms and Textiles Tummala Nageswara Rao, Minister for Transport and Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar, Commissioner, Handlooms and Textiles, Shailaja Ramaiyer and others were present.
Mr. Sridhar Babu said, “The State government took keen initiative in resolving problems of the industry there by facilitating the setting up of the Garment Manufacturing Unit at the Apparel Park in the textile hub of Sircilla. It has been our continuous endeavour to espouse the cause of farmers and weavers. Loan waiver for farmers and weavers is a testament to the commitment of the Congress government to the welfare farmer and weavers community.”
The previous BRS regime promised ₹100 crore for the development of Vemulawada temple but failed to keep its promise, he alleged, claiming that the Congress government initiated concrete measures to develop the historic temple.
Mr. Tummala Nageswara Rao said the Telangana government has cleared pending dues amounting to ₹914 crore to weavers, waived loans up to ₹1 lakh to the tune of ₹34 crore to weavers and provided orders worth ₹900 crore to weavers for production of fabric for various government departments.
Mr. Ponnam Prabhakar highlighted various initiatives taken by the Congress government to ensure sustained livelihood for weavers and powerloom workers in the textile hub of Sircilla. The government placed orders for production of sarees with Sircilla weavers to distribute two sarees each to members of women self-help groups free of cost.
He said the setting up of the garment manufacturing unit at Apparel Park will help create employment opportunities to local weavers and workers.

Four persons were killed and three others sustained injuries in a fire that broke out in a five-storey building housing several manufacturing units in Rohini Sector 5, the police said on Wednesday. Sixteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot after the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call about the blaze at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday. However, due to the combustible material stored in the building, including plastic and clothes, and the narrow lanes leading up to it, which prevented fire engines that ran out of water from giving way to other rescue vehicles, it took the DFS over 12 hours to douse the flames.