Overview
- Andhra Pradesh, which launched the scheme Wednesday, said benefits start from April 1 for eligible weaving units.
- Under the plan, handloom households get 200 units of electricity free each month and power-loom units get 500 units, with officials citing about 93,000 handloom families and 11,488 power-loom families as beneficiaries.
- The government estimates the annual cost at roughly Rs 150–153 crore and projects yearly savings of about Rs 8,640 for a handloom family and up to Rs 21,600 for a power-loom unit.
- At a public event in Nellore district under the monthly ‘Pedala Sevalo’ drive, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu handed out free-power certificates to weaver beneficiaries.
- Complementary steps include a Rs 5 crore thrift fund for weavers, five new handloom clusters under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, and pensions for weavers starting at age 55.