Weaver suicides in Telangana: Committee to decide ‘genuinity’ before compensation

Government so far acknowledging only six of the 12 reported deaths as suicides

Rajanna-Sircilla: The State government’s compensation to the kin of weavers who died by suicide might not reach all the families, with the Government so far acknowledging only six of the 12 reported deaths as suicides. Even these six suicides will undergo a stringent scrutiny by a three-member committee that has been set up to probe the genuinity of the suicides.

The names finalized by the committee after going through multiple aspects will be recommended to the State government for compensation by the district administration. This year so far, seven weavers from the Sircilla textile town alone have died by suicide, while there have been more than three from other districts including Karimnagar and Khammam. Most of these were due to lack of employment during the last six months, with weavers and ancillary workers pointing out that they were out of work after Bathukamma sarees, Christmas and Ramzan gift orders not being issued by the State government.

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Agriculture, Handlooms and Textile Minister Tummala Nageswar Rao, earlier this week, had said the suicides would be probed and pegged the number of weaver suicides at six. Accordingly, the Handlooms and Textiles department has set up a committee, which is headed by the Revenue Divisional Officer, while the Assistant Director of Handlooms and Textiles is the member convener. The District Deputy Superintendent of Police is the third member of the committee.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Assistant Director (Handlooms and Textiles) M Sagar said the committee would decide the genuinity of the suicides. After getting the final report including FIR copy, postmortem report and other details on each weaver death, the committee would take a decision after going through all facts. The names finalized by the committee would be sent to the State government for compensation through the District Collector, he said.

The official said that though some of the weavers had died of sunstroke and other reasons, those deaths were also being labelled suicides by the media. In such cases, the committee would take decisions by going through facts. Details of all the weaver deaths were being compiled, he added.

Meanwhile, a weekly payment system is also being cited as one reason for weaver suicides in Sircilla. This has been a practice for quite some time, with the master weavers paying the weavers and ancillary works every seventh day. After purchasing essential commodities, the weavers are usually left with nothing and even if there is anything left, it is not saved. Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies (MACS) Association general secretary Polu Shankar said 90 percent of weavers and workers were addicted to this lifestyle.

This did not create major issues when government orders such as Bathukamma sarees, Ramzan and Christmas gifts and others were placed regularly without fail by the previous BRS government. But now, with government orders trickling down to a minimum, weavers, who used to earn a total of about Rs.20,000 a month, were facing financial issues.

Shankar said former Handlooms and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao had tried to encourage saving habits among weavers by setting up a thrift fund scheme. However, out of 25,000 weavers, only 5,200 to 5,500 took membership in the scheme. Under the scheme, members have to pay Rs.1,200 per month and the government would pay an equal amount. The total saving would be given to the members after 36 months with a bonus. Though master weavers tried to change the payment pattern and make it a fortnightly affair, even that was opposed by workers, Shankar said, emphasizing on the need to change the payment system and to encourage the thrift fund scheme as well.