Hyderabad: The Telangana government today started the distribution of free saris for more than 10 million poor women ahead of Bathukamma, the biggest festival in the state.
Ministers and legislators distributed the handloom saris among women in their respective constituencies and the move will continue for the next four days. Sarpanches [village heads] and members of Zilla Parishad will distribute saris in their villages and divisions.
Bathukamma, a festival believed to be eight centuries old, is slated to start on September 22 and ten days later culminate into a massive procession of women carrying pots colourfully decorated with flowers. The main event will be held on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MP K. Kavita, whose organisation Telangana Jagruthi played a front-line role in reviving Bathukamma as the main festival of Telangana during the protests for a separate state, said in united Andhra Pradesh the rulers had neglected the local culture and festivals. “Now Bathukamma and Bonalu ah e [have] regained their due position”, she said congratulating the women of Telangana. She participated in the sari distribution programme in her constituency, Nizamabad.
Minister for urban development and IT K. Taraka Rama Rao, who distributed saris at Mustafabad, in his constituency Sircilla, said it was a unique programme unparalleled in the country. “Chief Minister KCR started the programme with the twin purpose of upholding self respect of poor women and also providing work to the handloom weavers in the state”.
KTR said that the programme will continue every year and the government will provide work to the weavers for about nine months.
The state government spent Rs2.22 billion (Dh127 million) in procuring more 10.4 million saris for this programme this year, as 5.2 million saris were procured from the weavers in Telangana and the remaining saris had to be purchased from other places in the country including Surat, Gujrat.
This year’s order provided two-and-a-half months of work to the weavers in the state.
Saris were also distributed in different places in Hyderabad city. Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav distributed the saris in Sanathnagar. “This is to ensure that each every woman in the state is able to celebrate the festival with joy”, he said.
The state government was distributed clothes among poor families on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr and Christmas.
Meanwhile, State Congress women wing leader N Sharada alleged that the KCR government was insulting Telangana women by distributing poor quality saris among them. “This is a cheap gimmick for the sake of the women’s votes”, she said.
