Telangana: KTR Writes Postcard To PM Modi, Demands Withdrawal Of GST On Handloom Products

The minister said that he had taken up the issues faced by handloom weavers with the central government on several occasions, but failed to get any positive response.

Minister KT Rama Rao ( Image Source :ABP )

New Delhi: In a bid to highlight the financial distress of the handloom weavers, Telangana Handlooms and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao launched a campaign and wrote a postcard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back 5% Goods and Service Tax (GST) levied on the handloom clothes and raw materials.

Earnestly appealing the weavers in Telangana to write postcards to the PM highlighting the issue, Minister KTR asked everyone who are fond of handloom products to join the drive.

Speaking on the occasion, KTR emphasized the significance of the handloom sector in the struggle for India’s freedom and talked about the history of the handloom art.

తెలంగాణలో చేనేత కార్మికులకు ముడి సరుకుపై 40% సబ్సిడీ ఇస్తుంటే, మోదీ మాత్రం 5% జీఎస్టీ విధించారు. 5% జీఎస్టీ రద్దు చేయాల్సిందే. ప్రతి ఒక్కరూ పోస్టుకార్డు రాసి ప్రధానికి తమ నిరసన తెలియజేయాలి. సభా వేదికపై నుంచి నేనే తొలి కార్డు రాస్తున్న. అందరూ ఈ ఉద్యమంలో పాల్గొనాలి - మంత్రి @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/OwUhWcgZ9H

— TRS Party (@trspartyonline) October 22, 2022

The minister said that he had taken up the issues faced by handloom weavers with the central government on several occasions, but failed to get any positive response.

KTR said that the central government, which has scrapped welfare programmes for the weavers, instead of coming to their rescue, has imposed GST on the handloom products and raw materials. After agriculture, the handloom sector is the second largest sector to generate employment in the southern state and to do away with the woes of the weavers, the GST on handloom products has to be rolled back on humanitarian grounds, KTR further said.

It is to be noted that KTR has been interacting with the weavers in the run-up to the Munugode bypolls.

During his interaction, he had pointed out to the weavers that the BJP had dissolved the All India Handlooms Board, All India Handicrafts Board, savings scheme and the insurance schemes for them.

As per reports, earlier this week, the minister appealed to the weavers in Munugode to teach the BJP a lesson in the upcoming bypolls.

(With inputs from Ashish Kumar Pandey)