Handlooms and Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao claimed that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was projecting natural deaths of weavers as suicides.
Handlooms and Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao, giving a rejoinder to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu’s criticism over the suicides of the weavers in the House, claimed that he has done more in his short stint for the weavers than Naidu had done during his entire rule.
Speaking to media persons at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Dr. Shankar Rao alleged that Naidu had chosen to portray the weavers’ natural deaths as suicides, which was unfair.
As against 1,900 suicides as shown by Naidu, the Minister stated that 700 weavers committed suicides due to the lack of sustenance, based on a government survey. Further, the government released Rs. 5.49 crores towards ex-gratia to the 362 families of those who committed suicides, each family receiving Rs. 1.50 lakhs.
That apart, the APCO was directed to buy the weavers’ cloth which was mandatory as per a GO of 2002.
For the last 6 years, APCO production rose 3 times, which testified that the weavers were provided with full work for all 365 days, he said. Dr. Shankar Rao added that Rs. 309 crores had been released for the last 6 years for weavers covering all factors including ex-gratia, loan waiver, subsidy to yarns, insurance scheme and incentive relief in flood-hit areas among others.
He continued to inform, “Bank-linked programs assistance to weavers like cash credit, Sircilla Package, artisan credit cards, revolving fund, cash credit to APCO among others amounted to Rs. 297 crores.
Dr. Shankar Rao added that Rs. 227.81 crores has been sanctioned to 18 apparel and textile parks in the state.
Courtesy: INN