The Tamil Nadu Weavers’ Federation, headquartered in Erode, has expressed its gratitude to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and Handlooms and Textiles Minister M. Vijay Balaji for the government’s announcement of an initial allocation of ₹300 crore towards the production of free sarees and dhotis for Pongal 2027. The total expenditure for this scheme has been estimated at ₹642.88 crore, and the first installment has now been released.
Based on the requirements submitted by district collectors, the actual demand for Pongal 2027 stands at 22,783,417 sarees and 22,514,094 dhotis. However, due to the introduction of new varieties and the limited time available for production, the target has been fixed at 17.764 million sarees and 17.722 million dhotis, similar to previous years.
Importantly, the government has decided not to use the previous year’s stock of sarees and dhotis as opening inventory for this year’s Pongal distribution. Instead, those stocks will be distributed to beneficiaries of the old-age pension scheme during the upcoming Deepavali festival. This measure is expected to significantly increase employment opportunities for weavers, for which the Federation has expressed its sincere thanks.
At the same time, the Federation has strongly urged the government to ensure that sarees and dhotis are produced and distributed in full accordance with the district- and taluk-level demand lists, so that every ration card holder in Tamil Nadu receives them. The Federation emphasized that only if all ration card holders are covered will weavers be assured of continuous employment for six months.