Hyderabad: Caretaker Minister KT Rama Rao today said that the people have to call handloom workers as artistes for their stupendous skills in producing a wide gamut of clothes without proper training. Addressing a program of handloom industry at Siricilla segment along with MP B Vinod Kumar, KT Rama Rao asserted that the TRS regime has launched several schemes for the welfare of weavers who eke out their livelihood on the handlooms. The TRS supremo and chief minister aware of the problems and difficulties of the weavers he said. KT Rama Rao also said that credit of allotting Rs 70 cr for their welfare and increased the funds to Rs 1270 cr in the budget goes to the KCR regime. He said that KCR collected money from people to help the kin of deceased weavers as TD chief Chandrababu ignored them in Nalgonda.
He stressed the need for increasing the handlooms and cloth production on a massive scale as the country is lagging behind. While China is contributing for 40 per cent of world cloth industry needs, Bangladesh is put at 14 per cent, Sri Lanka 8 per cent and India just 4 per cent he said. Cloth industry is the largest employment generating industry after agriculture which needs continuous support by the government and the ruling part is in the right direction he added. The past regimes including the congress and that of Chandrababu had ignored the plight of the weavers suicides and added to their woes he charged. However, the KCR Regime has offered the Bathukamma saries project to the weavers of the state and the women receive the saries affectionately he said. He said that the ruling party came up with a number of welfare schemes and development programs that almost reached every household. The people of Siricilla segment will hear the rail siren in two to three years by extending their support to the ruling party he said. (NSS)
