For weavers of coastal Andhra, there is small cheer in the Budget. A mega handloom cluster is set to come up between Prakasam and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh.
It was one of the clusters announced by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee. The other one would be at Godda, Jharkhand. There are already four mega clusters in the country.
Indications are that an investment of Rs 70 crore would go into setting up of the cluster. Chirala in Prakasam district and Mangalagiri in Guntur district are renowned centres for handloom. However, weavers have been going through lots of hardship in recent times.
Andhra Pradesh has lakhs of weavers who eke out a livelihood while weaving magic in the designs and material they produce. Villages across all the three regions of Telangana, Rayalseema and coastal Andhra have gained popularity.
Another good news for the State was the grant of Rs 100 crore for the Hyderabad-based, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU). The fund is expected to boost research activity and also create the much-needed facilities.
The ANGRAU is among the oldest of the Agriculture Universities in the country. It has research projects across all the disciplines and has forged tie-ups with national agricultural institutes to do frontline work. When former US President, George W. Bush visited the University, Indo-US collaborative initiatives were also launched.