Free power to handlooms, power-looms to be rolled out from April 1 in Andhra Pradesh

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Payyavula Keshav. File

Payyavula Keshav. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Andhra Pradesh Government has announced a large payment measurement for the handloom and power-loom sector, rolling retired escaped energy arsenic promised successful the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) 2024 associated manifesto.  

Presenting the Budget for 2026–27, Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav said the strategy volition travel into effect from April 1, 2026, providing up to 200 units of escaped powerfulness per period to handloom weavers and 500 units to power-loom units.  

The committedness was primitively made successful the associated manifesto released by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) up of the 2024 elections.  

The Minister stated that much than 1 lakh families engaged successful weaving activities are expected to benefit from the caller scheme, which aims to trim input costs and revive the accepted textile sector.  

The escaped powerfulness inaugural for looms volition beryllium implemented successful summation to existing energy subsidy programmes for farmers, Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Backward Classes (BCs) and minorities.  

Under the Energy Department’s Outcome Budget indicators, assistance to the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (Andhra Pradesh TRANSCO Limited) for cultivation and allied subsidy is estimated at ₹12,832 crore for 2026–27. This includes 9 hours of escaped powerfulness proviso to 20.86 lakh cultivation consumers.  

It besides presented another assistance to Andhra Pradesh TRANSCO Limited, for providing subsidy to aquaculture farmers, with an estimation of ₹890 crore for about 49,200 consumers. 

The Scheduled Castes Component Plan provides nine-hour escaped powerfulness to 71,893 SC farmers, portion the Scheduled Tribal Sub Plan covers 29,029 ST beneficiaries. In the Social Welfare sector, ₹300 crore has been earmarked to supply escaped energy up to 200 units per period to 16.44 lakh SC households nether the Jagjeevan Jyothi scheme.

For ST households, ₹100 crore has been allocated to reimburse energy charges for 5 lakh beneficiaries, with subsidies covering up to 200 units per period for home consumers.  

The Industries and Commerce Department has also allocated funds for handloom and textile promotion, portion 10,534 power-loom consumers are expected to benefit from a 50 per cent powerfulness tariff concession during the financial year.

The Finance Minister, successful his Budget code besides indicated that a escaped powerfulness up to 200 units has been extended to Nayee Brahmin saloons nether BC payment measures.  

The Minorities Action Plan reiterates continued assistance to the Transmission Corporation for subsidised energy to the agriculture sector, ensuring affordable powerfulness proviso and supporting sustainable maturation successful farming and allied activities.  

With the latest announcement, the State Government has positioned escaped energy arsenic a cornerstone of its payment and concern enactment strategy, with handloom and power-loom workers emerging as the newest beneficiaries. 

Published - February 17, 2026 01:05 p.m. IST

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