HYDERABAD: The State government on Friday released Rs 50 crore of the Rs 351 crore that the previous BRS regime had not paid to the weavers who had made Bathukamma sarees last year.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed the officials to release the remaining dues as soon as possible.
The BRS government did not pay the Rs 351 crore to weavers after procuring Bathukamma sarees, sparking an agitation by the weavers in the state, especially in Sircilla.
The Sircilla weavers, while staging protests, had requested Minister Ponnam Prabhakar to release the pending bills. Prabhakar, along with Government Whip Adi Srinivas, held a series of discussions with the weavers in Sircilla. Later, they represented the matter to the chief minister with a request to release pending amounts.
The chief minister directed the officials to release the funds and see that the bills were paid to the weavers immediately.
The state government provided an advance of Rs 47 crore in the last three months for making uniforms under Samagra Siksha Abhiyan. The government also released Rs 14 crore to weavers for purchasing threads.