Govt. to launch e-marketing facility for weavers on October 2

Minister for Industries and Commerce Mekapati Goutham Reddy said the government would launch e-marketing facility for weavers on October 2 as part of its efforts to fetch better returns on their products.

In his message in the occasion of National Handloom Day on Friday, Mr. Goutham Reddy said the handlooms and handicrafts made in Andhra Pradesh were famous around the world but the weavers and other traditional artisans were leading hand - to - mouth existence for generations due to the absence of proper support in selling their products both within the country and in overseas markets.

Keeping this in view, the government conceived the idea of connecting the weavers and artisans to markets in the online mode, which enables them to showcase their products effortlessly thereby earn decent returns on their investments.

The Minister pointed out that the government extended financial assistance to weavers for the next year, in advance in spite of the difficulty faced by it due to the COVID-19 crisis and stressed the need for people to wear Khadi clothes to the extent possible, at least on the National Handloom Day, so that the weavers would get the recognition which they deserved.

The government was already sourcing uniform clothes and blankets required by school students through APCO. It (the government) was committed to supporting the weavers through all possible means.

One of the steps taken was to improve the skills of weavers to help them face stiff competition from power looms, the Minister added.