Handloom clusters fail to take off in Anantapur

Anantapur: The Central government had sanctioned three handloom weaver clusters at Puttaparthi, Dharmavaram and Uravakonda almost 2 years ago when NDA was in office in its first term.

It had sanctioned Rs 2 crore for each cluster but these clusters establishment are yet to take off, due to the lethargic attitude in this regard by the previous TDP government. The TD government had allegedly diverted the central funds for its own pet schemes. The Puttaparthi cluster will benefit 220 weavers, Dharmavaram cluster 300 weavers and Uravakonda cluster 265 weavers.

The Department of Handlooms and Textiles had actually sent proposals for setting up 71 clusters but in the first phase only 3 clusters were sanctioned. The largest number of proposals went from Dharmavaram that is for 34 clusters, but the former was sanctioned only one cluster.

Weavers in the district are an unhappy lot as the 3 clusters sanctioned two years ago have not seen the light of the day. The officials concerned maintain that several hurdles had come in their way and had delayed the process. The new state administration is expected to speed up the execution of the sanctioned clusters.

AP Handloom Workers Association State secretary Chalapathi has in a statement found fault with the Central government for doing injustice to the district by sanctioning a pittance to the district.

Dharmavaram, the weavers town is given just one cluster, he lamented. He says that the 3 clusters do not provide employment to even 1,000 weavers. The government must clear all proposals sent to it and create work for 1 lakh weavers, he demanded.