Bengaluru: As many as 46,000 children of weavers’ families are identified for the Vidyanidhi Scheme and the amount will be released soon, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Speaking after launching the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme of the grants for handloom weavers under the ‘Nekar Sanman’ scheme here on Friday December 16, he instructed officials concerned to submit the list of those 46,000 children of weaver’s families within 15 days to release Vidyanidhi money immediately. No application will be collected from the children as Vidyanidhi is their right, he said.
He said it is very important to upgrade the weaving profession. “Since they sit amidst the cotton for a very long time the weavers are susceptible to ailments like Asthma and Tuberculosis. To care for the people who are engaged in this profession, the government has hiked the financial assistance for them from Rs. 2,000 to Rs 5,000 under Nekar Sanman Scheme. In connection with their several demands, a meeting of the Department of Energy and the Minister concerned will be held. The scheme of waiving loans and interest has been in force. In order to bailout them out of the economic crisis, each artist will be given financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 50,000 each. As many as 46,484 weavers are the beneficiaries of the ‘Nekar Sanman’ Scheme and each one will be given Rs. 5,000. As much as Rs. 23.43 Crore has been transferred to bank accounts of those weavers,” he said.
Bommai said the weaving profession has created the maximum number of jobs and it was weavers who strengthened the freedom struggle.
“They worked day and night to supply the cloth to make the people wear ‘Swadeshi cloth’ during the freedom movement. This industry has grown since 1947 and has earned a special status in the nation. Weaving is an artistic profession and this art has been protected, preserved and continued for many generations. Now, they are displaying creativity by using the latest technology. Thanks to changing technology, even the textile industry too has witnessed changes,” he noted.
