TPCC vice-president and former Member of Parliament Ponnam Prabhakar said that it is a “black day” for the powerloom weavers of Sircilla textile town as the State Government “betrayed” them by sanctioning Kakatiya Mega Textile Park to Warangal district.
Against a total of around 50,000 and odd powerlooms in the State, more than 36,000 powerlooms are in place in Sircilla, he said, and added that the government should accord priority for the modernisation of the existing powerlooms by setting up mega textile park. “What is the rationale behind setting up of mega textile park spread over 1,200 acres in Warangal district by neglecting Sircilla, which is also called another Sholapur,” he questioned.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, he said that the powerloom weavers expected that their lives would change after the formation of Telangana but they were cheated again by the ruling TRS. Reminding that the Congress government schemes of providing 50% power subsidy, providing loans at pavala vaddi to families of weavers and health insurance are continuing, he alleged that the government in three-and-a-half years has not done anything for their welfare and upliftment.
He asked the State Government why it had shelved the proposed upgradation of powerlooms in Sircilla taken by then Congress government in 2014 and reminded that they had proposed mega textile park in Sircilla and got it included in the Union Budget speech too.
Mr. Prabhakar alleged that Karimnagar sitting MP B. Vinod Kumar, who hails from Warangal district, is shifting all the projects sanctioned to Karimnagar district to his native Warangal betraying the people of the district, who have elected him. He said that the proposed Textile Park, Leather Park, IT Park, Sainik school etc were shifted to Warangal.
Flaying the TRS leaders for shedding crocodile tears over the welfare of Sircilla powerloom weavers, he asked the Karimnagar MP as to what did for their welfare and upliftment. If he had written any letters to the Union Government for the welfare of weavers, he should make them public, he demanded.
