Weavers plight: Tummala blames BRS Govt

Alleging that the previous BRS govt had ruined the handloom sector in the State much than during the united AP, Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the previous government had placed orders with the weavers but did not pay them.

Hyderabad: Handlooms and Textiles Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday said an enquiry would be conducted into the suicides of six handloom weavers in Rajanna-Sircilla since January this year and said measures would be taken to pay ex-gratia to eligible weavers.

Steps were being taken to design schemes for long term benefit of weavers and powerloom workers and ensure their self-sufficiency. The Congress government would not undertake any programmes for temporary political gains but would take measures for the long term benefit of the weavers, he said.

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In a statement issued here, the Minister charged that a few political parties to derive political gains should refrain from making baseless allegations. Alleging that the previous BRS government had ruined the handloom sector in the State much than during the united Andhra Pradesh, he said the previous government had placed orders with the weavers but did not pay them.

“The Congress government is placing more orders than placed in the past and ensuring that weavers get handful of work,” Nageswara Rao said, also finding fault with former Handlooms Minister KT Rama Rao writing an open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Claiming that the dues accumulated during the BRS government’s tenure were being cleared by the Congress government, he said Rs.33.23 crore was released towards 10 per cent yard under the input subsidy programme. Following the State government’s directions to different departments to procure products from the Textiles department, orders worth Rs.255.27 crore were placed with TGCO. This apart, since the Congress government came to power, products worth Rs.53 crore were procured from Weavers Cooperative Societies, he said, adding that dues for procurement made since December 2023 were being cleared.

He also alleged that the previous government had to pay Rs.351.52 crore to TGCO but it was the Congress government that paid Rs.100 crore.