The State government has fixed weaving wages for the new varieties of dhotis and sarees to be produced under the Pongal 2027 free distribution scheme at ₹45.76 per saree and ₹19.04 per dhoti on powerlooms.
A Government Order issued by the Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department on October 15 said the wage fixation followed a field study by a committee constituted to assess production costs. The recommendations took into account the rise in prices, additional production costs and the livelihood of weavers. The government has provided ₹13.66 crore in the 2026-27 Budget to meet the additional expenditure.
The government has ordered the production of 1.77 crore dhotis, each measuring two metres, and 1.77 crore sarees, each measuring 5.5 metres, under the scheme. Production targets have been allocated to handloom and powerloom weavers’ cooperative societies for August to December 2026.
However, L.K.M. Suresh, State president of the Tamil Nadu Federation of Powerloom Associations, said the order concerned wage fixation for new varieties and not a general wage hike. The association had sought pick rates of 17 paise for sarees and 18 paise for dhotis, citing the higher workload involved in producing the new varieties. The rates had been fixed at 13 paise and 14 paise per pick, respectively, he said. Mr. Suresh said the association was studying the rates and would decide on its next course of action after holding a meeting with its members.
Published - October 16, 2026 06:38 pm IST