Expressing concern over suicide by a powerloom weaver Domala Ramesh in his Siricilla constituency on Monday night, Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao today vowed to provide more employment opportunities, loans, subsidy and incentives to weavers and workers of handloom and power looms esides procuring their produce completely.
The minister sent Textiles Commissioner Shailaja Ramayyer and secretary to Siricilla to offer Rs 1.5 lakh ex gratia to the kin of deceased besides promising to provide education to the children and a double bedroom house. About Rs 18 crore towards arrears and subsidies given to help Siricilla weavers besides giving orders to supply Rs 70 cr worth clothes for school uniforms under Rajiv Vidya Mission scheme, the Textiles Minister claimed.
The weavers should not lose confidence as the efforts for two and half years giving positive results, he noted. The Government has agreed in principle to procure the produce of weavers from Siricilla and other areas and provide them ample scope for better future, he maintained. To overcome crisis and help handloom and powerloom weavers of Siricilla, the State government waived Rs 5.65 crore, 50 per cent power subsidy of Rs 7.19 cr, released Rs 4 cr arrears under Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF), 15000 power looms upgraded (10000 from Centre and the rest from the State), he said.
He also said that 6000 weavers are getting life insurance under Mahatma Gandhi Bunker Beema Yojana, loans given under Mudra Bank to 600 weavers and giving Rs 1200 scholarship to weavers’ children of those who joined this scheme. KTR asserted that the weavers have better future and can get benefits from the government. He said that the government will soon come up with a new textile policy and announce sops to the weavers, workers of textile industry and steps to be taken for their welfare.