HYDERABAD:  Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday directed officials to ensure that Bathukamma sarees reach beneficiaries by the second week of October.During a review of the Textiles Department’s work, the Minister asked the officials to focus more on brand building for clothes manufactured by Telangana State Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative society Ltd. (TSHWCS), popularly called as TSCO. 

He said the State government was according priority to the textile sector. “The decision to provide ‘Nethanna Ku Cheyutha’ (Thrift) scheme funds to the weavers during the pandemic has given much needed relief to them,” he said. The Minister said that `96.43 crore to handloom weavers and `13 crore to powerloom weavers was provided by the government well before the mandatory lock-in period of three years. This has benefited 25,000 weavers across the State, he added. 

Rama Rao said weavers had appreciated the move and appealed to the government to implement the scheme again. The Minister said that a decision would be taken on this soon. He wanted awareness to be created among the citizens on the use of handloom clothes. He also asked the officials to come up with an action plan to set up showrooms in different places of Hyderabad city. Later, the Minister visited Golkonda Handicrafts Showroom. He inspected the handicraft works and interacted with the artisans. Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, and, Handlooms & Textiles Director Shailaja Ramaiyer were among those present at the meeting.