Centre neglecting state handloom industry: KTR

Sircilla: The BJP government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been neglecting the handloom industry and workers in Telangana, alleged IT, Industries and Commerce Minister K T Rama Rao said.

The Minister was speaking while participating in various developmental programmes here on Thursday. He launched a sweeping machine, inaugurated the RT-PCR Lab at Podupu Bhavan, unveiled a statue of Subhash Chandra Bose in Subhash Nagar, inaugurated CCTV cameras in the 3rd ward, inaugurated high mast lights, laid the foundation stone for CC roads to be constructed in all wards in Sircilla Municipality at an estimated cost of about Rs 15 crore.

He also inaugurated a newly constructed Sakhi Centre set up at a cost of R. 48 lakhs and Government Nursing College.

Addressing a gathering, Rama Rao said that the State government has been introducing welfare schemes for powerloom and handloom workers unlike anywhere else in the country.

But the Centre does not care even as the State government has been asking for seven and a half years to support the industry. Telangana has also been asking the Centre to sanction a mega power room cluster but the Modi government is showing stubbornness. The same is the case with powerloom clusters and the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Rama Rao lamented. There was nothing left to lose for the rights of State and against the damage being caused to the State. The Centre does not want to help the weavers of the State. In addition, the Centre tried to impose GST and hurt the weaving industry but temporarily postponed the same in the wake of elections in the five States., he explained.

Rama Rao informed that it has been said many times that after agriculture more families were dependent on the handloom sector. Nothing was even given in the eighth budget even after meeting Union Ministers and Modi seeking support for the handloom sector.

The Centre did nothing except the word that it would provide temporary funding, he added.

MLC L Ramana, Nafscob, Chairman Konduri Ravinder Rao, ZP Chairperson Aruna, district Collector Anurag Jayanti, SP Rahul Hegde, Additional Collector B Satyaprasad, DRO T Srinivasa Rao, Municipal Regional Director Shahid Masood, Sircilla Municipal Chairperson Jindam Kala Chakrapani, Municipal Commissioner Sammayya, and others were present.