Telangana Handlooms and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao launched a campaign to further bring down financial distress experienced by poor handloom weavers. Minister KTR wrote a postcard addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back the 5% GST on handloom clothes and raw materials.
Earnestly appealing to the weavers in the State to write postcards to the PM highlighting the issue, Minister KTR has asked everyone who is fond of handloom products to join the campaign. On the occasion, Minister KTR mentioned the significance of the handlooms sector in the struggle for India’s freedom, and the history of the handlooms art.
Minister KTR took the issues faced by handloom weavers to the notice of the central government on multiple occasions. However, he said that a positive response was not received from the central government.
Minister KTR said that the central government which has scrapped welfare programmes for the weavers has imposed GST on the handloom products and raw materials. After agriculture, the handlooms sector is the second largest sector to generate employment. Minister KTR said that GST on handloom products has to be rolled back on humanitarian grounds.