T.N. Handlooms Minister announces changes to length of dhotis distributed as part of Pongal scheme

Tamil Nadu Minister for Handlooms, Textiles, and Khadi Vijay Balaji on Monday said the government had decided to distribute four-mulam (about 1.8 to 2 metres) washed dhotis instead of eight-mulam dhotis for Pongal “in response to the demand from the people”.

Responding to DMK members S. Austin and K. Nithyanandan and AIADMK member Tiruttani Ko. Hari, the Minister said that after the distribution, ruling party MLAs and Ministers would come to the Assembly clad in four-mulam dhotis. “Let the Opposition members come clad in the eight-mulam dhotis distributed during their period. People will judge the quality of the dhotis,” he said.

Mr. Balaji said that after the TVK government came to power, he had received several requests from people to replace the eight-mulam dhotis with four-mulam washed dhotis, as they were tired of wearing the same design for the last 12 years. He said he brought the demand to the attention of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who wanted the government to fulfil the people’s request.

“The Secretary of the department and officials held a meeting to elicit the views of the people, and they preferred four-mulam dhotis. When I went to Nagercoil, the weavers met me, and I told them about the government’s plan. They were happy and agreed to cooperate with the government,” he said.

Factories producing dhotis also told the government that three-fourths of the people were wearing four-mulam dhotis, he said, and added that the government would procure dhotis and saris, for which orders had already been placed.