Andhra Governor urges for protecting interests of handloom sector

Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has said that the handlooms played an important role in the freedom movement and it is necessary to protect the interests of the handloom sector.

This statement by the Governor came after Chillapalli Mohana Rao, who is Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APCO) met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

In a tweet today, the Andhra Pradesh Governor's office wrote, "Andhra Pradesh Governor Sri Biswabhusan Harichandan has said that the handlooms played an important role in the freedom movement and that they are considered a symbol of the Indian culture and it was necessary to protect the interests of handloom sector." Chillapalli Mohana Rao briefed the Governor on the steps taken by the State government for the sustainability of the handloom sector and the schemes implemented for the welfare of weavers in the State.

During his meeting with the Governor, Rao said that the handlooms sector requires all the encouragement that can be given, as it was the handlooms sector that provides livelihood to more people, after the agriculture sector. He sought the intervention of the Governor on the issue of the proposal of the State government to exempt the handloom products from the purview of GST by the Centre.

He further explained to the Governor on the steps taken by the APCO to set up its retail showrooms in the International Airports at Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Gannavaram, to showcase the latest handloom products with modern and attractive designs, brought out by the cooperative society.

( With inputs from ANI )