CM Revanth Unveils New Indiramma Saris For Bathukamma This Year

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government will distribute Indiramma saris to one crore women across the state this year for the second consecutive year. The Chief Minister unveiled the new designs for the Indiramma saris at a programme held at the Secretariat in the presence of ministers and senior officials.

Revanth Reddy said the Congress government had distributed Indiramma saris for the first time last year in blue colour and that this year, parrot-green coloured saris with new designs would be distributed to women across the state.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said the state government was presenting the saris to women like a traditional “sare” (a gift from maternal home to women) gift from a family. Referring to the previous BRS government’s Bathukamma sari distribution programme, he remarked that saris distributed by the BRS government earlier were used in agricultural fields to scare away birds, while women wearing the blue-coloured Indiramma saris now appeared “like colourful Indian rollers.” He also announced that, unlike last year, Indiramma saris would be distributed in urban areas as well.

In an indirect reference to differences between K.T. Rama Rao and Kalvakuntla Kavitha, the Chief Minister said some brothers were driving their sisters out of their homes and added that in recent politics, people had witnessed how a woman reacts and curses after being forced out.

The state government has placed orders for one crore Indiramma saris. The saris are likely to be distributed on November 19, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The `450-crore contract for production of the saris has been awarded to the Telangana Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society.

Continuing the free sari distribution scheme launched last year, the government introduced changes in colour and design this year. While around 86 lakh women received blue saris last year, the new parrot-green saris feature fresh patterns along with a red zari border.

The Chief Minister had first announced the new sari colour during a public meeting in Adilabad district in April and directed officials to ensure a different colour and design every year instead of repeating the same pattern.

Based on samples prepared by officials, including minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Divya Devarajan, Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), the parrot-green sari with red zari design was finalised.

Officials said the government aims to complete production of the saris by October to facilitate distribution on November 19. Weavers from Sircilla, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Karimnagar, Jagtial, Peddapalli and Mancherial districts will participate in the production process through 11 clusters across the state.

Unlike last year, when saris were distributed separately to rural and urban women, the government has decided to undertake simultaneous distribution across both rural and urban areas this year.