Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Major aid for weavers likely

Staff Reporter

HELPING HAND: Collector S.S. Jawahar giving away a computer to a beneficiary in the city on Tuesday. Minister for Revenue and Prisons I. Periasami, Minister for School Education Thangam Thennarasu and Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare A. Tamilarasi are also seen. — Photo: K. Ganesan

MADURAI: The weavers in the city are set to receive a major boost as the administration has unveiled a proposal to provide them soft loans.

Announcing this at a function here on Tuesday to disburse Government welfare assistance, the Collector, S.S. Jawahar, said that each beneficiary would get Rs. 5,000 as loan at a low interest rate of four per cent. It would be implemented through banks to help the weavers overcome the problem of lack of credit.

A. Tamilarasi, Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare, said that women stood to benefit the most from the various welfare schemes. Investments in industries worth Rs. 600 crore had been announced in the State to sustain development. With Information Technology Parks set to come to Madurai, she said that rate of unemployment would be reduced among the youth. Ms. Tamilarasi requested the district administration to ensure that those belonging to `Kattunayakars' community got their community certificates before the commencement of the academic year.

Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for School Education, said that the budget was intended to reach out to all sections of society. It provided sufficient allocations to ensure that all welfare schemes were sustained in the long term.

I. Periasamy, Minister for Revenue and Prisons, said that the Government spent over Rs. 1,900 crore on subsiding rice for the Rs. 2-a-kg scheme. "In order to ensure the survival of weavers, free electricity is being provided for looms."

He also distributed assistance under various welfare schemes to the beneficiaries. Totally, 20,000 beneficiaries received assistance worth Rs. 8.75 crore, involving 16 departments.

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