Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi on Saturday urged Chief Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to take immediate action and solve the problems faced by farmers and weavers of the State.
In a letter addressed to KKR, Mr Chiranjeevi stated that due to various circumstances, the prices of raw materials have hit the roof, thus putting them beyond the reach of the weavers. This has led to the weavers being reduced to penury and leading some of them to commit suicide, he wrote.
The PRP chief demanded that the government to act ‘immediately’ by strictly implementing the various Laws so that the burden on the weavers is lessened and they desist from taking the extreme steps.
Mr Chiranjeevi also suggested that the government import raw materials from China. He added that the government should also arrange a six-month stock of raw materials so that the situation prevalent now does not recur in the future. He urged the government to sell raw materials for weavers at a subsidized rate.
The PRP chief also demanded that the government should give Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the weavers who have committed suicide due to financial constraints.
He also said that despite the fact that 12 per cent of the population consisted of weavers, only a paltry amount of Rs 300 crore was allotted for their welfare. He demanded that the budget set apart for the weavers should be in line with their population.