CM Chandrababu Naidu Reaffirms Commitment to Weavers' Welfare

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the state government will address the issue of waiving GST on handloom products with the Union government. Speaking at the National Weavers’ Day event at Maris Stella College in Vijayawada, Naidu reassured the weaving community that all welfare schemes previously stalled by the YSRCP government would be reinstated.

The Chief Minister urged the public to support local weavers by wearing handloom fabrics at least once a month. In a show of solidarity, he purchased two sarees for his wife, Bhuvaneswari, from a stall at the event.

Naidu also promised to provide solar power facilities to weavers’ homes, further committing to their welfare. He criticized the previous YSRCP government for halting crucial schemes under the guise of the Netanna Nestam scheme, including discontinuing purchases from Apco, removing subsidies on yarn, and failing to clear ₹266 crore in pending payments.

Reaffirming the Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) long-standing support for the weaving community, Naidu highlighted the party’s history of waiving weavers’ loans and promised to introduce the BC Protection Act. He also pledged to allocate ₹1.5 lakh crore under the BC sub-plan for the welfare of Backward Classes.

In another development, Naidu addressed the challenges faced by Gopalpur's renowned tussar sari weavers, who had shifted to cotton due to the scarcity of tussar cocoons, a key raw material. The depletion of cocoon crops was attributed to environmental factors. However, with recent improvements in cocoon harvests, there is hope that the weavers may return to silk production, as indicated by the Odisha Cooperative Tasar and Silk Federation Ltd.

At a district collectors' conference, Naidu unveiled the government’s development and welfare agenda, emphasizing land reforms and curbing illegal activities in revenue offices. He announced the establishment of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) wing in Amaravati for the development and maintenance of state highways and ordered a CID inquiry into sand mining irregularities during the YSRCP regime. The Chief Minister also underscored the importance of sanitation, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, urging officials to complete pending projects and explore further PPP opportunities.