Bathukamma sarees give livelihood to handloom weavers: Kodangal MLA Patnam Narender Reddy

Narayanpet: Kodangal MLA Patnam Narender Reddy, while taking part in the Batukamma sarees distribution programme in various villages in Maddur mandal of Narayanpet district on Saturday said that the Bathukamma sarees distributed by the State government on the occasion of Dussehra festival is not only a gift for the women folks in the State, but this initiative is also providing livelihood to lakhs of handloom weavers in Karimnagar, Sirisilla, Warangal, Gadwal and Narayanpet districts.

While refuting the allegations of Opposition party members who have been mocking the State government for spending crores of tupees for procuring sarees from other States, the Kodangal MLA said that though the State had initially procured sarees from other States but subsequently the State government has spent these funds for buying Batukamma sarees from the handloom weavers in the State.

"Today, lakhs of handloom weavers are making a living by weaving the Batukamma sarees, he pointed. The State government itself is buying these sarees and providing them income, making their lives much better compared to the earlier days. During the Congress government in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, we had seen the handloom weavers suffering as they had no work and many had left the profession to become daily wage workers by migrating to other cities.

A few of them had even resorted to committing suicide because of debt burden due to unemployment. But, after the formation of Telangana, the handloom weavers are living happily," said the Kodangal MLA.