HYDERABAD: Announcing that his government will waive loans worth Rs 30 crore availed by weavers in the state, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said that dues worth Rs 290 crore have already been released, bringing immense relief to the distressed community.
“My government is giving equal priority to farmers and weavers. I will support the community of weavers like an elder brother. Election, selection and collection are not considered sacrifices. Telangana movement leader Konda Laxman Bapuji sacrificed posts for the cause of Telangana and Bapuji stood as a role model of sacrifices,” he said.
The chief minister was speaking after inaugurating the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) in Hyderabad. Addressing the gathering, he revealed that the newly established IIHT would be named after Laxman Bapuji and that a GO would be issued in this regard soon.
Accusing the previous BRS government of failing to establish IIHT in the state, he said that students from Telangana were forced to go to Odisha or AP to pursue studies in the IIHTs there.
“My government urged the Union government to take measures to establish an IIHT in Telangana soon after the issue was brought to my notice. I have appealed to the prime minister and Union textiles minister to set up the institution in the state. The Centre responded positively to the request of the Telangana government and approved the institute. The government directed the authorities to start work for the establishment of the Handloom Technology institute this year itself,” he said.
IIHT campus to be set up in skill varsity
Recalling that a skill university has already started to impart skill training to students in Telangana, Revanth said that necessary steps will be initiated to set up an IIHT campus in the skill varsity next year.
He accused the previous government of hyping promotion of handlooms by taking up a campaign with movie stars, but failed to bring any improvement in the “pathetic living” conditions of weavers. “The previous government also delayed release of payment of Bathukamma sarees. The Congress government released the funds and supported the struggling Sircilla workers without indulging in politics,” Revanth said.
Mentioning that there are 63 lakh self-help groups members in the state, he said that the government has decided to distribute two sarees to each member every year. Instructions have already been given to the authorities to come out with good design and quality of sarees, the chief minister added.
He said that his government has decided to give the order of producing 1.30 crore
sarees to weavers every year. Officials have been instructed to prepare an action plan for the conduct of elections to co-operative unions, the chief minister said.