Accusing the State government of betraying the weavers community, TDP former MP Nimmala Kristappa on Sunday said that the assistance being provided under the the ‘YSR Nethanna Nestham’ scheme was far form adequate.
“All weavers are not being provided with pensions. The government is supposed to sanction pensions to 3.5 lakh weavers and the ‘Nethanna Nestham’ should also be extended to those weavers who have looms. However, the benefits have been provided to only 81,000 weavers and the rest have left with empty hands,” Mr. Kristappa told the media here on Monday.
The former MP said loans worth ₹110 crore availed of weavers was waived off during the TDP regime. Apart from 100 units free power, a monthly assistance of
₹1,000 was extended to weavers making silk clothes, he said.
The TDP leader demanded that the government extend an immediate assistance of ₹80 crore to bail out the weavers from the crisis induced by the pandemic. “The assistance is necessary as weavers are suffering due to the rise in the prices of raw silk, while the products are less in demand,” he said.
Mr. Kristappa alleged that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had cancelled all the welfare programmes for weavers launched during the TDP tenure.
‘10% of allocation spent’
“Only 10 % of the sum allocated to weavers’ welfare in the budget was spent during the one year rule of the YSRCP. The Centre allocated ₹31 crore for welfare of weavers, while the YSRCP government sanctioned just ₹ 6 lakh,” he pointed out.
