Demand for withdrawal of GST on handloom

Kurnool: Kothuru Satyanarayana Gupta, chief of Janata Foundation, has demanded for total abolition of GST on handloom products. Speaking to the reporters in Kurnool on Friday, he expressed deep anguish over the neglect of handloom sector, which he described as the primary industry after agriculture. He criticised corporate-friendly policies for plunging handloom sector into a severe crisis, leading to hunger deaths and suicides among handloom workers.

He stated the BJP-led Central government’s imposition of GST on handloom products has further exacerbated the plight of workers. He also blamed previous governments for failing to implement effective welfare schemes, such as ‘Nethanna Hastam’, and for not providing adequate support to handloom workers through cooperative societies. The lack of sufficient budget allocations for handloom welfare, he said, has worsened the struggles of the sector.

Kothuru questioned the silence of the current government, which had promised initiatives such as GST reimbursement, 200 free electricity units, and robust protection for handloom industries. He demanded that the State government allocate Rs 2,000 crore for the protection of handloom sector and either abolish GST on handloom products entirely or implement a reimbursement policy.

He also called for immediate government orders to implement 200 free electricity units, clear pending yarn subsidies, interest arrears, and other dues to cooperative societies. Furthermore, he demanded a year-round 30 per cent rebate on handloom products and financial assistance to every weaver under ‘Nethanna Nestham’ scheme.

Kothuru urged cancellation of inactive handloom cooperative societies and promotion of functional ones. He stressed the need to provide housing with attached weaving sheds for handloom workers on 3-cent plots or financial aid of Rs 5 to Rs 6 lakh for those, who already own land. He also suggested implementing thrift fund schemes for private-sector handloom workers, revising silk and zari prices to 2,021 levels, and continuing the rebate scheme.

Additional demands included maternity financial aid for women handloom workers, establishment of a welfare fund board, waiving debts of cooperative societies, and setting up an enforcement office in Dharmavaram. Kothuru concluded by urging the government to fulfill its promises immediately and extend necessary support to the struggling handloom workers.