1 crore Bathukamma sarees through SHGs in Telangana

Hyderabad: The state government will be distributing one crore Bathukamma sarees through Self Help Groups (SHGs) from October 9. The sarees, according to Textiles Minister K T Rama Rao would cost the government Rs 317.81 crore. The polyester sarees will be having 287 different types of designs. Displaying the sarees at the Tourism Plaza on Tuesday, KTR said in the wake of corona pandemic, the government has decided not to distribute them publicly and entrusted the responsibility to the SHGs.

The SHG women would be distributing the sarees by going door to door at places where there are no corona cases. About 80 per cent of the sarees are already dispatched to the districts and remaining 20 per cent would be supplied within 10 days. The Bathukamma festival would start on October 17 and conclude on October 25.

KTR said despite the problems that the government had to face on account of corona pandemic and with no help from the centre, the state government had not cut any of the welfare activities it had launched. Instead, it opted for cut in the salaries of ministers and legislators. Due to various measures taken by the government in the last six years, the number of farmer and weavers' suicides had come down and this even the Centre had acknowledged, he said.

The minister asked the officials to go for branding of these sarees instead of naming them as Bathukamma sarees.

"It is a proud moment that the powerlooms were getting orders from outside the state like Tamil Nadu, he said.

The minister said the TRS government had no religious agenda and welfare schemes were being provided to all religions. The sarees are given during Bathukamma and same sarees are being given during Ramzan, said the minister.

The minister later interacted with SHG women enquiring about the quality of the sarees and sought their suggestions. While most of them said that they were happy with the designs and colours, some of them suggested adding more designs.

A woman from Warangal Rajitha said that thickness of cloth should be improved. Another woman Nagalakshmi from Ranga Reddy district felt that designs like 'boota' and different 'prints should be added to the designs. Lakshmi from Warangal said that by seeing the exhibition she wanted to have a collection of these sarees.

Education Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and Tribal Affairs Minister Satyavathi Rathod were present during the event.