Telangana: KTR takes potshots at Congress govt for abandoning weavers

Urges the State government to reconsider its decision and resume distribution of Bathukamma sarees

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the Congress government for halting the distribution of Bathukamma sarees, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the Congress government had abandoned weavers.

He urged the State government to reconsider its decision and resume distribution of Bathukamma sarees, which was a tradition upheld by the BRS government for seven years.

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In response to a news report published in these news columns – “Bathukamma saree scheme wrapped up?”, Rama Rao expressed deep concern for the poor weavers left in distress. “The Congress government has sounded another death knell for weavers,” he said.

 

The Congress government has sounded another death knell for weavers

Leaving poor weavers in distress, the government has decided to halt the distribution of Bathukamma Sarees, a tradition the BRS government practiced for 7 years

Every year, the BRS government distributed around… pic.twitter.com/57ShqOR6mf

— KTR (@KTRBRS) July 9, 2024

He criticised the decision to stop distributing Bathukamma sarees, which the BRS government had made an annual practice during festivals such as Dasara, Ramzan, and Christmas.

Under the BRS government, approximately one crore sarees were distributed each year with an annual budget of Rs 350 crore. This scheme not only provided livelihood for weavers and ancillary workers but also brought joy to poor women during the festival season.

“This initiative was more than just a distribution of sarees; it was a means of sustenance for countless families,” he observed. The BRS working president pointed out that more than 10 weavers had died by suicide in the last few months due to the distress in the weaving sector.

“Now, the Congress government is stopping the production of Bathukamma Sarees,” he added. Rama Rao demanded that the Congress government should reconsider its “ill-thought-out” decision.