HYDERABAD: IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao has urged the Central government to allocate sufficient funds for the Telangana textile sector in the Union Budget 2023-24.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Rama Rao recalled that the State government has been seeking the support of the Central government for its programmes taken up for the development of the textile sector in the State.
While stating the Centre should allocate sufficient funds to develop the textile sector in Telangana, he also demanded that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announce in her Budget speech that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be waived on handloom and textile products.
Modernisation of looms
The Centre should announce the establishment of the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, National Textile Research Institute and Handloom Export Promotion Council in Telangana. Rama Rao also wanted the Centre to allocate the required funds for the modernisation of looms, strengthening the value chain and development of the market for Sircilla textile weavers. He said these works require Rs 990 crore and the Centre should contribute a lion’s share of these funds.
Stating that there were 40,000 handloom workers working in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Gadwal, Warangal, Rajanna-Sircilla and Karimnagar districts, Rama Rao urged the Centre to start the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology centre in Telangana.“As there was no such centre in the State, the weavers were going to other States like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for training, he said.
He demanded that the Centre should restart the thrift scheme, handloom, power loom, and handicraft boards, which were discontinued by the Modi government. The minister also urged the Union government to increase the current GST slab of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 50 lakh in order to encourage the handloom and textile industry.