Andhra Pradesh Handlooms and Textiles Minister S. Savita has directed officials to ensure all eligible weavers receive Mudra loans without delay, setting a target of disbursing at least 70% by December. Chairing a review meeting at the Handlooms Commissionerate on Thursday, she urged greater village-level awareness of welfare schemes, including free electricity and called for regular “success meets” to highlight government initiatives.
Commissioner Rekharani presented ongoing welfare programmes and noted that 36 products have been identified under the One District-One Product (ODOP) scheme. Andhra Pradesh recently won nine national ODOP awards and Savita said efforts should be made to secure more recognition next year. She also pressed for the establishment of new handloom clusters across the State.
According to the Minister, nearly 93,000 weaving families currently receive 200 units of free power, while 11,488 loom-owning families are eligible for 500 units. She instructed officials to intensify awareness campaigns and cautioned against delays in forming new handloom cooperatives, emphasising the need for regular reviews.
Savita also reviewed the performance of APCO, which operates 92 showrooms and recorded Rs. 35.6 crore (US $ 4.07 million) in sales last year. She urged measures to modernise showrooms, expand e-commerce and boost handicraft sales at airports. She further highlighted existing benefits for weavers, including pensions, thrift fund support, GST relief efforts, textile parks and assistance of Rs. 25,000 (US $ 286) per family under the CM’s Netanna Bharosa scheme.
