The Weavers’ United Joint Action Committee on Monday demanded that the government take immediate measures to address issues being faced by handloom and powerloom weavers in the State.
Concerted efforts by both the State and the Centre to fully waive Goods and Services Tax, necessary revisions to make Netannaku Cheyuta and Cheneta Mitra effective schemes, setting up a corporation to extend loans of upto ₹ 10 lakh, and constituting an expert committee to study issues so as to prevent suicides by weavers in the future are the need of the hour, its leaders said.
The JAC with members from all parties from the Opposition, B.C. welfare and voluntary organisations met at Somajiguda to express solidarity with weavers. The meet was particularly organised to condemn the government’s “carelessness and inaction” relating the suicidal death of three members of a weaver family of Choppadandi in Karimnagar last week.
“While there used to be single-person suicides in united Andhra Pradesh, now we see suicide pacts. Chief Minister KCR who says had started the Telangana movement with the weavers, has no words for weavers now. Is the government unable to see weavers’ suicides?” JAC chairman Dasu Suresh pointed.
He said the committee was playing its role through weavers’ development foundation and a helpline – 9177756320 was also brought. But government’s intervention through a well-drawn policy was needed to take care of nearly a lakh loom workers, they said.
Along with Mr. Suresh, leaders from AAP, BSP, BJP, Congress and CPI demanded that the State government extend ₹ 10 lakh ex gratia and a government job for Bairi Shankaraiah’s family in Karimnagar.
