Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, R. Gandhi, has refuted claims made by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami regarding delayed subsidies for weavers and the financial difficulties of cooperative societies. In an official statement released on Monday, Minister Gandhi addressed the concerns raised by Palaniswami, who had alleged that the state government was failing to provide subsidies on time and that many cooperative societies were struggling with losses.

Palaniswami claimed that the AIADMK government had disbursed ₹1,400 crore in subsidies over a decade. However, Gandhi clarified that during the AIADMK regime, from 2011-2012 to 2020-2021, only ₹1,173 crore had actually been released as subsidies. In contrast, the current DMK government has allocated ₹1,010 crore for the period from 2021-2022 to 2024-2025, of which ₹760 crore had already been disbursed by March 31, 2024.

The minister further assured that the remaining ₹250 crore would be released in the current financial year to support the state’s weavers. He emphasized that the government was committed to the well-being of weavers and had taken all necessary steps to ensure the timely distribution of subsidies.

Gandhi also responded to Palaniswami’s claim that only a few handloom cooperative societies were operating profitably. He countered this by stating that out of 1,114 handloom weavers’ cooperative societies in Tamil Nadu, which represent 2.59 lakh members, 957 societies were functioning successfully and profitably.

The minister’s statement aimed to highlight the DMK government’s proactive efforts in supporting weavers and maintaining the stability of cooperative societies, refuting any suggestion of financial mismanagement.