Nalgonda : Minister for IT and Municipal Administration K Taraka Rama Rao on Monday said that the Bhatukamma festival existed only in Telangana state, and hence the state government was offering sarees to the women for the festival as a small gift.
He spoke after launching the distribution of Bathukamma sarees to the women at a programme held in the Agriculture Market yard here.
The Minister said that every employ of the textile department including himself were wearing handloom clothes on every Monday. He asked the people to do so to help the weaver community. The state government has also implementing thrift scheme and ‘Chenetha Mithra programmes’ for the welfare of the weavers. The Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken up Bathukamma sarees programme with an intension to offer gift to the women for the unique festival and also provide employment to the weavers. Chandrasekhar Rao had collected donations and extended financial help of Rs 50,000 to each family of the deceased weavers when the state government had not responded on the suicide of seven weavers at Bhoodan Pochampally in the year 2001.
Reminding that the orders for Bathukamma sarees had doubled the income of weavers in Siricilla, Gadwal, Warangal and Pochampally areas, he said that the Textile department would talk with the TSRTC and Singareni Collieries to extend the orders of their staff uniforms to the weavers as it would help in further increasing the income of the weavers in the state.
He has assured to extend Rs 35 crores for development of mini tank bund at Udhaya Samudram Balancing Reservoir (Panagal reservoir).
Power minister Guntlakandla Jagdish Reedy said the Chief Minister has taken up welfare schemes -Raithu Bandu, Raithu Bheema, KCR Kits, Kalyana Lakshmi, which were not promised during the elections. Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhendar Reedy, Zilla parishad Chairman Banda Narendar Reddy, MLAs Chirumarthi Laingaiah, Nalamothu Bhaskar Rao, Kancharla Bhupal Reedy, Ramavath Ravidra Kumar, MLC Teera Chinnapa Reedy, Director of Textiles Shailaja Rama Iyangar and district Collector Gaurav Uppal were also present.(NSS)
