With just a fortnight left for Bathukamma festivities to begin, the State official machinery is gearing up for distribution of Bathukamma saris across the State.
Over 20 lakh of the 87 lakh Bathukamma saris ordered for distribution have already reached all the district headquarters and the district Collectors have been entrusted with the job of transporting them to every village. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is likely to launch the distribution formally ahead of the floral festivities.
The Telangana government launched the Bathukamma Sari Scheme (BSS) with the two-pronged approach of providing work for weavers as well as help women from BPL (below poverty line) families celebrate the festival with gaiety. An order for 87 lakh saris at a cost of Rs 183 each was placed by Telangana Handloom Weavers’ Cooperatives’ Society. The saris are being produced in about 500 different designs to suit the tastes of both elderly women and younger generation.
“Over 50 lakh saris have been already produced and delivered to the Telangana Handloom Weavers’ Cooperatives’ Society. These saris have been sent to Hyderabad and Surat for processing and packing where more than 20 lakh have been returned and transported to districts. The remaining are in various stages of production.
“Over 90 per cent of the saris would be ready for distribution before the designated date of September 15,” officials of the Handlooms and Textiles Department said. The remaining saris are expected to reach the districts before the last week of September and will be distributed before the Bathukamma festivities conclude.
Over 20 lakh saris have already reached seven districts of Nizamabad, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Siddipet, Gadwal, Khammam and Adilabad. The remaining districts will receive saris commencing from Wednesday. Under the scheme, more than 5,000 powerlooms, including 1,890 looms, belonging to mutually aided cooperative societies and another 2,493 belonging to small scale industries, benefited due to production of the saris.
Source: Telangana Today