Nara Lokesh writes to centre, urges to restore NHDC regional office at Vijayawada

TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh has written a letter to Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani asking him to maintain the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) regional office at Vijayawada. He said it would not be a good decision to reduce the level of Vijayawada regional office, which has more turnover and more weaver families than Telangana NHDC, to a branch office now. In the letter, Lokesh stated that AP ranks 2nd in South India among the states with the highest number of handloom families. There are over 3 lakh weavers in the state.

He said there has been a steady increase in handloom revenue since the establishment of the branch office in Vijayawada. He mentioned that the branch office has been developed as a regional office. It was revealed that the handloom workers have benefited immensely in the supply of yarn depending on the market capacity irrespective of the regional office in Hyderabad. It has benefited over 200 handloom cooperatives and affiliates. The Telangana NHDC has a turnover of up to Rs 16 crore while the Vijayawada regional office has a turnover of up to Rs 80 crore.

Lokesh said the central government had decided to reopen the Hyderabad NHDC as regional office with the intervention of central Minister Kishan Reddy, though it was recently reduced to a branch office. He appealed to Union Minister Smriti Irani to restore the status of Vijayawada Regional Office. Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society and Yarn Depot said they were facing severe difficulties as the Vijayawada office was downgraded. In the last six months, the corona epidemic has devastated the khadi and handloom sector. The letter said that they were left without a new job.

He urged a quick decision be made on the Hyderabad office as well as the immediate recognition of the Vijayawada NHDC office as a regional office. This will ensure that weavers do not have to rely on the Hyderabad office for their needs, Lokesh said.