K.T. Rama Rao, the working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), has alleged that Telangana Government is responsible for the death of weavers in distress who committed suicide due to lack of work.
He called for immediate intervention toward such families, saying that not finding employment was a harsh reality. He referred to these suicides as government-induced deaths and blamed it on administrative neglect and vindictive policies against initiatives started by the previous government.
Rama Rao’s open letter said that each family should get ₹25 lakh ex gratia payment thereby making a total demand for 100 crore rupees. According to him, this loss of means of support was occasion by failure by the current government in continuing welfare schemes and job works initiated by the previous regime thus leading to extreme poverty.
According to Mr. Rama Rao, ”These are thriving weavers during 10 years of BRS rule whose fortune disappeared after Congress took over power which was just like what happened when Andhra Pradesh was unit.”
Increasing budget provisions for weaving sector, modernizing handlooms through subsidizing their costs, waivering off loans provided to them and establishing marketing linkages were some measures take by the past BRS administration which according to Mr. Rama Rao have made weaving industry revive, stopped suicides among weavers and make it financially stable.
The BRS leader therefore asked the state government not only resuming but also immediately implementing all welfare schemes and support programmes previously existing here besides giving them work such as orders for Bathukamma sarees and school uniforms, power loom subsidies and festival gifts to boost their employability statistics.
