VIJAYAWADA: As many as 69,225 weavers would get Rs166.14 crore under the YSR Nethanna Nestham scheme in 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The weavers have faced a lot of financial difficulties due to the pandemic and hoped the Nethanna Nestham aid of Rs 24,000 per family would help them weather their odds. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would launch the scheme on August 10.
The government is making arrangements for deposit of amounts directly into the accounts of weaver beneficiaries.
According to the officials, YSR Nethanna Nestham Scheme provides financial assistance to weavers to modernize their looms in order to match with the changing trends in the market and to compete with the power looms. The CM said, “The government is moving ahead with the goal of uplift of every handloom worker in the state. The Jagananna government has implemented the 'YSR Nethanna Nestham' scheme and has already completed the distribution of two tranches of financial assistance to these people.”
On August 10, the government is preparing for distribution of financial assistance under the third phase of the YSR Nethanna Nestham scheme for the weavers.
This assistance is in keeping with the promise made by Jagan Mohan Reddy during his 3,648-km padayatra.
Weavers like K. Sivaiah, Akurathi Vijayalakshmi and Surepalli Srinivas Rao said that they are hoping the Nethanna Nestham would help the weaver community get rid of the Corona-induced financial crisis. They said their families are benefiting through other welfare schemes and thanked the CM for implementing the welfare schemes in these days of the Corona crisis.
YSRC leaders said, during the previous TD rule, handloom weavers were left in a state of starvation. As Leader of the Opposition, Jagan Mohan Reddy was shocked to see their plight across the state during his Padayatra. After a thorough study of the problems faced by the handloom families, he decided to find a permanent solution to the weavers' problems.
These leaders noted that a financial assistance of Rs 24,000 per annum had been promised in the YSRC’s 2019 election manifesto to handloom families. Every eligible handloom family with its own looms today is entitled to a financial assistance of Rs 24,000 through the YSR Nethanna Nestham scheme.
Officials said the YSRC government has provided a financial assistance of Rs 550.13 crore to the weavers in three tranches over a period of two years. It has issued clear instructions to banks that this money should not be linked or deposited under the old debts of the beneficiaries.
The state government is also providing the facility for beneficiary families to go to the village/ward secretariat and apply again if any eligible person’s name is found missing in the list by any error.
