Ministers inspect handloom expo in Salem, distribute welfare assistance

Ministers inspect handloom exhibition in Salem, distribute welfare assistance, showcase products with GI tags, and offer discounts.

Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi and Minister for Tourism R. Rajendran inspected a State-level handloom exhibition in Salem and distributed welfare assistance to beneficiaries on Saturday.

The exhibition at the district Central Cooperative Bank Community Hall at Alagapuram will go on for 15 days till January 11. The Ministers inspected the stalls and interacted with the officials regarding the quality of the products displayed in the exhibition and their specialty.

The ministers also distributed welfare assistance worth ₹1.43 crore, including family pensions and loans, to 581 handloom weavers.

Officials attached to the Handloom Department said the expo, with 60 stalls, features handloom products woven by weavers from well-established handloom cooperative societies across the State. Silk sarees from Kancheepuram, Thirupuvanam, Arani, and Salem, handloom products with Geographical Indication (GI) tags like Salem Venpattu, Coimbatore kora cotton sarees, soft silk sarees, Madurai Sungudi sarees, Paramakudi cotton sarees, Dindigul sarees, Chettinad silk sarees, blankets, and bedsheets manufactured at Chennimalai in Erode and Karur are on display in the exhibition.

Customers get a 30% discount for purchases at the expo.

In the function, V. Amuthavalli, secretary to the government, handloom, handicrafts, textiles, and Khadi department; Director of Handlooms A. Shanmuga Sundaram; Salem District Collector R. Brindha Devi; Salem MP T.M. Selvaganapathi; Salem Corporation Mayor A. Ramachandran; and officials from the concerned department participated.