The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has attributed the crisis in the handlooms and powerlooms sector and the suicide of weavers to the failure of the State government in fulfilling the promises made to the sector and stoppage of work orders.
During the run-up to the recent Assembly elections, the Congress party had promised to lift GST from the textiles sector and after the formation of the government, the bills were being kept pending and fresh orders stopped. As a result, the weavers were being pushed into a distress, leading to some of them taking the extreme step, BRS leader and weaver L. Ramana stated here on Sunday.
The previous BRS government had supported weavers by giving them orders for making sarees for free distribution among the poor during the Bathukamma-Dasara festival. The weavers were given ₹2,000 per month social security pension and ₹5 lakh life insurance cover under the Nethanna Bima, under which the family of the insured weaver would be paid ₹5 lakh insurance amount, irrespective of the cause of death, Mr. Ramana said addressing a press conference.
