Sari, dhoti for Pongal to continue in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The State government would continue to supply saris and dhotis to poor people in the rural and urban areas for the coming Pongal festival and had already allocated Rs 487.92 crore for the implementation of the scheme, launched in 1983, State Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, R Gandhi, said.

Dispelling rumours of the present government shelving the scheme that benefitted 3.59 crore people, besides providing employment to weavers, Gandhi, in a statement on Thursday said that all efforts were being made for the production of saris and dhotis through the handloom and power loom weavers’ cooperatives.

The entire order for the supply of saris and dhotis would be usually handed over to 2,664 handloom weavers, 11,124 pedal loom weavers and 41,983 power loom weavers through a government order in July or August after the production of school uniforms would be over, the statement said.

This year, too, to ensure continuous work for the weaving community, the scheme to supply saris and dhotis would be continued, he said, clarifying the government’s stand on the issue in the wake media reports over plans to scrap the scheme and weavers’ federations'plans to stage agitations and fasts.