CM Chandrababu Naidu’s Call To Wear Handloom Clothes for a Day Every Month

 Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has said the state government is committed to the development of the handlooms sector by uplifting the weavers’ efficacy through skill upgrade programmes.

“We are also formulating health care policies for them and striving for cancellation of GST on their handloom products,” he said on Wednesday.

Naidu called upon the people to support the handloom workers by wearing handloom clothes at least a day every month. He participated in the National Handloom Day celebrations at Mary's Stella College.

The chief minister visited the handloom cloth exhibition and inquired about the problems of weavers.

Addressing the weavers, Naidu said, "Ever since the birth of TD, artisans have always stood by the party. My responsibility is to solve the problems of handloom workers. Our government is fully supportive of the handloom workers. I have come here today to give reassurance to all the handloom workers in the state that they will be taken care of.”

He the previous government gave only Rs 24,000 per head to the weavers but cancelled all types of schemes for them and purchases of handloom clothes through APCO had stopped, subsidies on yarn and dyes removed and loans to them cancelled.

The CM said a special law would be introduced for the protection of BCs in the state. “There are many sub-castes in BC, they are all very backward. Most of them are earning their livelihood by pursuing their caste-based occupations.”

He said a sum of Rs 1.50 lakh crore will be spent through the BC sub plan to improve the lives of BCs. He also promised that 34 per cent reservations would be given to BCs in local institution polls.

“The government would pass a resolution in the assembly, asking the Centre to give 33 per cent reservation to the backward classes in state legislatures. I would fight on behalf of the BCs until this law is enacted in Parliament. Preference will be given to BCs in nominated posts as well,” the chief minister said.

Naidu said that as per the promises the alliance gave the people before the last elections, he signed the implementation of five promises on the first day of his governance.

He said, “There are 100 APCO showrooms in the state. Its dues left unaddressed by the previous government will be paid soon. Solar electricity facilities will be provided to every house of artisans. This programme will be implemented under the PM Surya Ghar scheme without taking a single pie from the handloom workers.”

The chief minister noted that GST was a burden on handlooms and hence the handloom workers were demanding its removal. “GST will be removed from your products. If the Center does not come forward to abolish GST in the handlooms sector, we would take steps to reimburse the amount of GST paid by the handloom weavers to the state government.”