Centre hurting weavers by increasing taxes: KCR

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday said that while the State government was working for the welfare of weavers, the Centre, which should support the handloom sector, was hurting it by increasing taxes.

The CM wished the handloom workers on the occasion of National Handloom Day on Sunday. He said the government was already successfully implementing many schemes and programs to bring light into lives of weavers for their welfare. KCR said the government was ambitiously implementing the "Netanna Bima" scheme from August 7, to celebrate National Handloom Day. He said the State was the first in the country to introduce such a scheme for weavers. The CM expressed happiness that families of around 80,000 weavers benefited from the insurance scheme.

"Unfortunately, if any weaver dies, the scheme, which provides Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deserving one, would provide financial security to the families of weavers", the CM said. He clarified that this was the sincerity of the Telangana government towards public welfare. KCR reiterated that the government would stand by weavers and support the handloom sector and the families of Padmashalis others who depend on the sector.