Accusing the Congress government in Telangana of vendetta against the weaving community, BRS working president KT Rama Rao urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to clear pending bills worth Rs 270 crore due to the weavers and place fresh orders for sarees for distribution among economically backward women in the state.

In an open letter to the chief minister, the BRS leader regretted that the textile sector in the state was in distress with power looms shut as government orders were allegedly diverted to other states for the lure of commissions.

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Rao is the elected representative of Sircilla known for its power looms and textile parks. In his letter to the chief minister, he drew parallels between the suicides by farmers and the weavers. He said administrative apathy is common in both cases.

He recalled during the BRS regime, the government had taken up several welfare schemes for the benefit of the weavers, such as subsidies for yarns which were directly deposited to their account, insurance for the workers as well and placing of government orders directly with the weavers.

However, he regretted that the current government halted all weaving welfare activities, especially the Bathukamma saree production, creating distress for the 30,000 power loom weavers.

He cited bills pending in the wake of the model code of conduct (MCC) during the assembly elections as another major reason for the crisis in the weaving sector. “Since March, there has been no initiative from the Congress government to release the order for Bathukamma (festival) sarees. This has left the weavers high and dry. Since this crucial issue concerns 35,000 workers and their families the government should take immediate action on a war footing,” suggested Rao, who had held the textile portfolio in the BRS regime.