Working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao
| Photo Credit: ANI
Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has accused Telangana Government of being responsible for the distress deaths of weavers who, he said, have ended their life due to lack of employment.
He demanded immediate support for the affected families, stating that lack of employment/work for them was a grim reality. He attributed the suicides to administration’s neglect and vindictive policies against the initiatives started by the previous government, and termed them as government-induced deaths.
In an open letter addressed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday, Mr. Rama Rao demanded that an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh be provided to every family of the deceased weavers. He criticised the government’s failure to continue the welfare schemes and job works initiated by the previous government resulting in loss of livelihood, and ultimately severe financial distress.
The weavers in the State had thrived well during the BRS rule for 10 years but had plunged back into crisis once the Congress had come to power, as in the combined Andhra Pradesh era, Mr. Rama Rao said.
Listing out the measures taken by the previous BRS government to support weavers such as increasing budget allocations, assistance for modernising looms, waiving weavers’ loans and providing market linkages, Mr. Rama Rao said those initiatives had rejuvenated the weaving industry, brought financial stability and halted suicides.
The BRS leader requested the State government to resume and implement the welfare schemes and support programmes previously in place immediately and give them job work such as orders for Bathukamma sarees and school uniforms, power loom subsidies, and festival gifts to boost the weavers’ employment.
