Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has responded positively to a request by powerloom weavers and assured to do away with tax on powerloom saris.
Representatives of Hindupur Powerloom Masters and Weavers Welfare Association met the Chief Minister here on Friday. They told him that neighbouring States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were not collecting any tax on powerloom saris. The AP government, however, was imposing a tax of 5 per cent. The officials were harassing the weavers by seizing the saris being sent to Bengaluru under the pretext of tax. There were 40,000 powerloom workers in Hindupur constituency alone.
Majority of the powerloom workers switched over to weaving from agriculture in view of losses there.
The taxes and officials harassment were pushing them into losses, they said.
Responding to it, the Chief Minister assured that the tax would be withdrawn.
Hindupur MP Nimmala Kishtappa led the power loom sector representatives.
