Centre ignoring Handloom Sector: Harish Rao

Finance Minister T Harish Rao addressing the gathering after unveiling the Statue of Konda Lakshman Bapuji at SUDA Park in Siddipet, said that the Centre's decision to hike GST on handlooms, pushed the handloom sector into crisis.

Siddipet: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led union government of ignoring the welfare of the handloom sector in India, Finance Minister T Harish Rao stated that the Centre’s decision to hike the GST on handlooms, has pushed the handloom sector into crisis.

Addressing the gathering after unveiling the Statue of Konda Lakshman Bapuji at SUDA Park in Siddipet on Sunday, Harish Rao found fault with the Centre for removing the National Handloom Board. He further said the Centre had also removed the handicrafts board, power looms board, eight associated research centres, thrift scheme, and insurance scheme.

However, the Minister said the Telangana government came up with several programmes to support the handloom sector in the State. He said they have also introduced Nethanna Bima. Following the request of the weavers’ community, he assured to get the age relaxed for Nethanna Bima by speaking to Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao. The State government had created work for weavers in the State by giving Rs 600 crore worth of Bathukamma Sarees and 1.20 crore Indian flag work orders this year.

On the occasion, Harish Rao recalled the role of Konda Lakshman Bapuji played during the first phase of the Telangana movement. He remembered that Bapuji had strongly opposed the merger of Hyderabad State with Andhra State in 1956. Bapuji resigned from his Minister’s post in 1969 during the first phase movement demanding the creation of a separate State, while Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had tendered resignation as MLA in 2001 to launch the second phase of Telangana movement.

The bronze statue was installed by Padmashali Sangam of Siddipet. He has also hailed Bapuji for guiding and supporting K Chandrashekhar Rao to successfully lead the second phase of the movement. Later, he handed over newly sanctioned pensions to beneficiaries during a meeting in Government Degree College at Siddipet.