Telangana Government on Monday started distribution of free sarees among more than one crore poor women ahead of Bathukamma, the biggest festival of the State.
Ministers and legislators distributed the handloom sarees among women in their respective constituencies and it will continue for the next four days. Sarpanches and members of Zilla Parishad will distribute sarees in their villages and divisions.
Bathukamma, a traditional festival, believed to be 8 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.
TRS MP K Kavita, whose organisation Telangana Jagruti played a frontal role in reviving Bathukamma as the main festival of Telangana during the agitation for separate State said that in united Andhra Pradesh the rulers had neglected the local culture and festivals.
“Now Bathukamma and Bonalu have regained their due position”, she said congratulating the women of Telangana. She participated in Saree distribution program in her constituency Nizamabad.
Minister for Urban Development and IT K Taraka Rama Rao who distributed sarees at Mustafabad in his Sricilla constituency said that it was a unique program unparalleled in the country. “Chief Minister KCR started the program 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 program will continue every year and the Government will provide work to the weavers for about 9 months.
The State Government spent Rs 222 crore in procuring more one crore four lakh sarees for this program.
As the program was announced that late only 52 lakh sarees were procured from the weavers in Telangana and remaining sarees had to be purchased from other places in the country including Surat in Gujrat.