Telangana government’s over-hyped Bathukamma saree distribution started with women protesting about the poor-quality stating that it is hardly worth Rs 100.

The festival of Bathukamma is celebrated with great devotion by the people of Telangana irrespective of their stature. Telangana government announced that the 1.4 crore sarees woven by the handloom weavers of the state will be distributed. In theory women expected sarees from famous places like Gadwal and Sricilla, but when in reality the quality of the sarees was substandard and purchased from Surat.

This did not go down with a lot of women who ended up burning those sarees and some reportedly played Bathukamma around it mocking the government. The women criticized the government for fooling them and making them stand in queue for hours. They even calculated that they lost Rs 300 wage for a saree which is not even worth Rs 100. Some women asked directly if the chief minister’s daughter and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha would dress herself in such saris.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is well aware of sentiment based politics. Telangana was a sentiment before the state was carved out, now in the name of Telangana festivals, public funds are being spent on large scale. However, the government failed to calculate whether handloom workers will be able to deliver sarees in time.

The saree distribution program was expected to increase the reputation of the government. But due to the lack of proper management it angered the women population. It is indisputable that the government will have to bear the brunt not only from the women but also from opposition parties.