Amaravati: TDP national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Saturday demanded the Jagan Mohan Reddy government immediately restore the subsidies, benefits and disaster relief assistance in the interests of the overall development of the weavers in the state. Lokesh extended his greetings to the weavers on the occasion of the National Handloom Day celebrations on Saturday. He termed it as unfortunate that the YSRCP regime had stopped all the benefits that were being given to the weavers' families. Over Rs 50,000 worth incentives and concessions were denied to each weaver per year, he said.

In a statement here, Nara Lokesh said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime was giving just Rs 24,000 to the weavers and this benefit was also not being given to most of the weavers in the state. The purchase of weavers' products by the APCO has also been stopped under this negligent regime, he alleged. Works were gone and mazdoori earnings were lost. The government had not bothered to come to the rescue of the profession in a time of crisis.

The TDP leader maintained that he had made several requests for Rs 1.5 lakh subsidy loans to the weavers to set up their own looms but the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had turned a deaf ear. The Chief Minister had also totally ignored the demand for providing Rs 10,000 cash assistance per month to each weaver's family during the coronavirus pandemic. Lokesh asserted that the YSRCP would pay a heavy price if it continued to betray the people with its empty promises and fake gestures. The 'Netanna Nestham' benefits should be given to all the weavers' families immediately.

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