HYDERABAD: BRS working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao said that the state government was seriously considering implementing a loan waiver scheme for handloom workers up to Rs1 lakh again. He stated that the scheme was under the active consideration of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and an announcement was expected soon.
He said the CM had waived loans of up to Rs1 lakh taken by handloom weavers from nationalised banks and district cooperative central banks (DCCBs) between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2017, in November 2017. He said 2,467 handloom weavers became debt-free due to the scheme and the government had spent Rs10.10 crore on it that year.
Rama Rao was speaking in Yadadri Bhongir district after launching development programmes. He laid the foundation stone for the Pochampally Handloom Park.
Rama Rao reiterated that a coalition government would come to power at the Centre in 2024 in which BRS would play a key role. "No one can become Prime Minister without the support of BRS," he said.
He lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing 5 per cent GST on handloom products and called upon weavers to defeat the BJP in upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. "PM Modi has taken several decisions in the last nine years which adversely affected the handloom sector and the weavers. He abolished several schemes introduced by previous governments that benefitted the handloom sector and weavers," Rama Rao alleged.
