Hyderabad (Telangana) [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prakash Reddy on Saturday lauded the Centre for focusing on handloom developmental works and said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should waive off handloom weavers loans in the state. Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, “The textile minister KT Rama Rao demands only money from the Centre. He doesn’t want any other facility for handloom weavers in place of money.” Earlier, KT Rama Rao demanded the Centre to sanction funds for the powerloom clusters. Reacting to this, BJP leader Prakash Reddy said that the Central government is committed to developing the handloom clusters as the handloom industry is the second biggest industry after agriculture in the country. Slamming the Telangana government, Reddy said, “Telangana government declared that they are going to develop Handloom clusters in Warangal. KCR declared this in his 2014 manifesto. Till now, the government has not provided minimum facilities in that cluster.” “CM KCR had told that he would waive off the loans of handloom weavers in Telangana. As per my records, 4000 people took loans in this sector of which the government waived only 500 handloom weaver loans,” he said. Meanwhile, on September 7 this year, Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao announced that the state government has released Rs 73.5 crore for the welfare of handloom weavers and ancillary workers towards various schemes. “As per the instructions of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), measures are being taken to ensure the monthly income of the workers is over Rs 15,000,” stated Minister KTR. KTR said the state government is taking up measures to ensure institutional and structural development of the handlooms sector in the state and different welfare schemes and programmes are being implemented accordingly.
