Hyderabad, July 2 -- Telangana minister Konda Surekha has written to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy seeking exemption of handloom products from the centralised tender system to safeguard the livelihood of thousands of weavers in the state.

In a letter, the Minister for Environment, Forests and Endowments said more than 50 handloom cooperative societies under the Warangal District Handloom Cooperative Societies Federation, representing nearly 5,000 workers, had for three decades supplied bedsheets, carpets, uniforms and other textile products to BC, SC, ST and Minority Welfare hostels, Gurukul institutions and other government educational institutions.

Surekha said the federation had repeatedly sought exemption of handloom products from th...