Telangana Handloom weavers demand to scrap 5 per cent GST

Hyderabad: The Telangana Handloom weavers on Wednesday demanded the Central government to scrap 5 per cent GST and implement zero GST on handlooms as it has been affecting their business dreadfully.

Avvari Bhaskar, president, Telangana Padmashali Yuvajana Sangam, said the earlier the Centre had never placed any extra burden on weavers but now the Central government has imposed the 5 per cent GST which is giving extra to the wavers, as the prices of the raw materials have increased and this extra 5 per cent is giving us hardship. The yarn subsidy scheme (which was reduced from 40% to 15%) was also sidelined by the Central government which has left handloom weavers in precarious conditions.

Bhaskar a weaver, said the Centre's GST policy has left them in depts. While the State government has been on our side, the Centre's policies have adversely affected us. We demand the GST imposed on handlooms be rolled back at once. As recently Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao started an online postcard campaign appealing the Union government to remove GST on handloom products, many weavers from various states appreciated this initiative.

They are many weavers who are reeling under the impact of the Covid pandemic and the increase in tax has brought a bang in their lives, said V Sudarshan, another weaver.