Telangana Govt Resolves Strike, Assures Purchase from Weavers

Karimnagar: Following an assurance given by the state government that it would purchase their produce, the Polyester Clothes Association and power-loom workers on Tuesday withdrew their strike that began on January 15 at Sircilla district, even as a powerloom worker died by suicide.

Textiles minister Tummala Nageswara Rao assured the weavers that the state government would place bulk orders through Rajiv Vidya Mission and would procure the stocks produced by the power-loom weavers.

The minister directed handlooms textile director Dr Alugu Varshini to submit the report on the status of the polyester industry.

The association had said that its members would shut down the powerlooms because the government had not given fresh orders for several months, leaving the community jobless.

Association president Mandala Satyam alleged that the BRS government had not paid the bills for the clothes purchased previously.

However, BRS working president and former textiles minister K.T.Rama Rao claimed in a post on the social media platform X that since the formation of the Telangana state, the powerloom weavers of Sircilla had seen great growth with the support of the BRS government.

He requested the Congress government to strengthen the sector as it had the potential to compete with the Tirupur cluster in Tamil Nadu. It would be disastrous for the sector if the government did not help the community, he added.

Meanwhile, a 55-year-old migrant powerloom worker, Alok Kumar, ended his life unable at the Indiramma colony of Thangallapally mandal of the district. Police said he was unable to repay his debts. According to the police, Kumar, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was working for several years Sircilla. After registering the police officials started an investigation.