COIMBATORE: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday assured small and micro-level weavers that capital loans availed by them before March 31, 2017, totalling Rs 65 crore, would be waived by his government. He said this while campaigning for the Sulur Assembly bypolls, scheduled to be held on May 19.
The Chief Minister also promised that steps would be taken to waive the principal, interest and penalty on construction loans availed by handloom and powerloom weavers in Cooperative Society. “The AIADMK government is committed to protecting the weaver community,” he said.
Sulur, where he was campaigning, is dominated by weavers. “The government is taking several steps to eradicate their sufferings. The government will also take steps to safeguard the sector from problems faced under the GST regime,”
Palaniswamy said. He also recalled that AIADMK government has given 250 units of free electricity for handloom weavers and 750 units of free electricity for powerloom weavers to improve their business prospects.