Over 50% free dhoti, sarees dispatched for distribution: Min R Gandhi

CHENNAI: Minister for Handloom and Textiles R Gandhi on Sunday hit out at deposed AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam for charging that the DMK government had failed to distribute free dhoti and sarees even 10 days after the Pongal festival.

He said Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the scheme on January 9 and dispatched over 69% sarees and 54% dhotis to authorities till January 27 to distribute the same to the beneficiaries.

A few days ago, OPS issued a statement that the DMK government had not distributed free saree and dhoti schemes even 10 days after the Pongal festival. The minister rebutted OPS charges and said it was factually incorrect.

The minister said the present government had taken necessary measures well ahead of the festival and allocated Rs 487.92 crore for the scheme. An order has been issued in this regard on January 9.

Under the free dhoti and saree scheme, the department had procured 137.66 lakh (77.5%) sarees and 112.81 lakh (63.7%) dhotis from handloom and power loom weavers' cooperatives, which were under the department, till January 27.

Of them, 122.78 lakh sarees and 97.02 lakh dhoti were dispatched to the taluk offices to distribute to the beneficiaries, said the minister in a statement to debunk the OPS charges.

He further said the previous AIADMK regime, the distribution of the free dhotis and sarees continued even the Pongal festival.

In 2013, the AIADMK government distributed the free dhotis and sarees till March 14 of that year.

In the following year, the then government had continued the distribution till August 25, he said and took a dig at OPS that he conveniently forgot the AIADMK government's poor implementation of the scheme.