KTR made an appeal to weavers in Munugode to teach a lesson to BJP in the upcoming bypoll and accused the BJP of pushing weavers into a crisis with its “harsh” measures.
Hyderabad,UPDATED: Oct 17, 2022 23: 34 IST
KTR detailed several progressive steps taken by TRS government for the welfare of weavers.
By Apoorva Jayachandran : Listing out the ‘harsh’ measures taken by the Union government against handloom weavers, Telangana Handlooms and Textiles Minister and TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday appealed to the weavers’ community to teach BJP a lesson in the Munugode bypoll.
KTR alleged that PM Modi is the first prime minister in the history of India to have burdened the weavers with heavy tax, scrapped insurance and welfare schemes meant for them.
“BJP has dissolved the All India Handlooms Board, All India Handicrafts Board, and scrapped savings scheme, and insurance schemes for weavers. Also, the yarn subsidy to weavers was reduced from 40% to 15%,” KTR said.
“GST on handlooms and textiles was increased from 5% to 12% by PM Narendra Modi. Though Narendra Modi rode to power on the swadeshi sentiment, he is pushing the handlooms sector into crisis,” KTR added.
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During a teleconference with handloom weavers of Munugode, KTR detailed several progressive steps taken by the TRS government for the welfare of the community.
He said the TRS government has been allocating a budget of Rs 1,200 crore per annum for the welfare of the handloom sector, provided a 40 per cent subsidy on yarn and dyes through ‘Chenetha Mithra’ scheme, introduced Rs five lakh insurance coverage for handloom and power loom workers through ‘Nethanna Ku Bhima’ and implementing ‘Nethannaku Cheyutha’ scheme.
During COVID, the Telangana government, through ‘Nethannaku Cheyutha’ has sanctioned an amount of Rs 100 crore to weavers much before the maturity date. The scheme is being continued keeping in view the benefit it has provided to the community, he added.
The minister said the TRS government has waived weavers loans ranging up to Rs 1 lakh which has benefited about