15-day Handloom Mela underway

Hyderabad: NVS Reddy, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), inaugurated a 15-day IT Handloom Mela at Ameerpet Metro railway station on Saturday. It will open till December 31.   The Mela is an initiative of FMC (Facilities Management Council), Telangana, to support weavers and promote ‘Handloom Monday,’ a call given by KT Rama Rao. 

The Mela is being organised in association with IT Electronics & Communications Department, Government of Telangana, and Hyderabad Metro Rail.  Speaking on the occasion, NVS Reddy gave a call to people to take to handlooms and make it as an integral part of fashion. British Raj brought about a change in the costumes of contemporary India. British costumes are Indianised. There was a need to revive good old clothes, said HMRL MD. Reddy informed that each and every Hyderabad Metro station would have designer footpath. Pochampally Saree Design is incorporated in Uppal station footpath and, similarly, Nagole will have Gadwal Saree Design. 

NVS Reddy said, “Hyderabad Metro Rail has got an overwhelming response. It took many years to many cities to get the kind of a response we have got here. On its very first day one lakh people travelled. Today 1.7 lakh people use metro rail in Hyderabad.”  He also informed that the Chief Minister KCR was keen on expanding metro to Airport and plans were on the anvil, NVS Reddy informed.  Facilities Management Council has been working towards propagating ‘Handloom Monday’ in the IT industry nearly four lakh people work in the IT Industry in the city. And if some of them start wearing Handloom clothes at least one day in a week i.e on Monday, it will give a great boost to Handlooms.  

In this light of background IT Handloom mela stall was inaugurated at Ameerpet Metro Rail Station on Saturday.  The stall will promote and sell handloom clothes. Through various IT Handloom Melas organised from time to time from November 2017 to November 2018, FMC could reach two lakh IT employees, creating awareness among IT fraternity for Handloom clothes, informed Satyanarayana Mathala, President of FMC. The Mela features Gadwal, Pochampally, Siddipet, Ikkat Pattu Sarees, Handicraft Products, Handloom Kurthas and many more.