Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced that his government will soon introduce a law aimed at protecting the interests of Backward Classes (BCs) in the state. He said the draft of the proposed BC Protection Act has been prepared and the coalition government is committed to safeguarding the welfare of backward communities.
Naidu made the announcement while addressing an event at Kothapeta village in Bapatla district on the occasion of the 12th National Handloom Day. During the programme, he launched the ‘Nethanna Sevalo’ scheme, under which financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each will be provided to eligible weaver families.
The Chief Minister released Rs 179 crore as part of the scheme, benefiting around 71,536 weaver families. He said that despite financial challenges, the government would continue to focus on welfare programmes and development initiatives without compromising on support for vulnerable communities.
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Naidu highlighted the importance of the handloom sector, describing it as an integral part of Indian culture and a traditional art form. He said Andhra Pradesh has several recognised handloom centres, including Chirala, Venkatagiri, Dharmavaram, Uppada, Mangalagiri, Ponduru, Pedana, Srikalahasti and Narsapuram, which provide livelihoods to nearly 1.27 lakh people.
The Chief Minister said the government was implementing several measures to support weavers, including free electricity benefits for handloom and power loom units. He said handloom families receive up to 200 units of free electricity per month, while power loom units receive up to 500 units. He added that the NTR Pension Bharosa scheme provides a monthly pension of Rs 4,000 to around 85,000 weavers.
Naidu also outlined other initiatives for the sector, including financial support through cash credit for handloom cooperative societies, infrastructure projects in Uppada and Mangalagiri, and a handloom and handicrafts museum in Sakhamuru, Amaravati. He said a textile recycling unit worth Rs 4,200 crore is also planned in Visakhapatnam.
Targeting the previous YSR Congress Party government, Naidu alleged that the state had suffered due to uncertainty over the capital issue. He said his government was committed to developing Amaravati as a major city and accused the previous administration of weakening the state’s progress by proposing a three-capital model.
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