Hyderabad, Aug.1 (UNI): Minister for Handlooms KT Rama Rao has informed us that the State government will be launching a new insurance scheme for all handloom and power loom weavers from August 7 to mark the celebration of National Handlooms Day. The government is providing insurance coverage to all handloom and power loom weavers under Nethanna Ku Bima Scheme. Telangana was the first State in the country to extend insurance coverage to weavers, said Handlooms Minister KT Rama Rao in a statement issued here on Monday. The State Government has already issued orders to extend insurance coverage to weavers aged under 60 years under the Nethanna Ku Bima Scheme on par with farmers’ Rythu Bima Insurance Scheme.
Under the scheme, if any weaver dies due to any ailment or any untoward incident, then Rs 5 lakh insurance would be offered. The move to extend insurance coverage to weavers will instill some financial confidence among their families” KTR said.
With the implementation of the insurance coverage scheme, nearly 80,000 handloom and power loom and ancillary weavers will get benefited in the State. The insurance coverage would be extended to weavers in the age group of 18 to 59 years. For effective implementation of the scheme, State-level and District-level committees would be constituted, the Minister said.
Since 2016-17, the State government has been sanctioning a special budget of Rs.1200 crore (through BC welfare) annually for the handlooms sector. This was in addition to the regular financial assistance being to the handloom sector in the budget, he said. In the 2022-23 financial year, the State government had allocated Rs.55.12 crore to the handloom sector. In addition to this, Rs. 400 crore was sanctioned under the Weaker Section welfare budget, KTR disclosed.
