5% GST on handloom products: Thousands of TS weavers pen postcards seeking roll back

Hyderabad: A program to deposit lakhs of postcards written by weavers across Telangana was held today at Nizam College Grounds in Basheerbagh demanding the central government to roll back the 5% GST on handloom products.

A rally was also taken from the Nizam grounds to the General Post office in Abids.

Speaking at the program, TRS MLC L Ramana demanded, "The Central government should roll back the GST imposed on handlooms."

Criticizing the Modi Government about the GST levied on handlooms and how they handled farm laws, he said, "The central government listens to people only when there are elections ahead. This shows our vote is the only weapon we have."

"Handloom advisory board has been dissolved, and various schemes of the center which help the weavers have been revoked," he added.

Praising the reforms done by the state government, the MLC said, "After the formation of the state, as promised, KCR has brought reforms to the handloom sector, with subsidies on the equipment, 'Nethanna bheema' and various other schemes."

"We will continue our protests till there is zero GST. Rahul Gandhi also should demand removal of GST now, rather than saying it will be removed during Congress' government," he added.

"We will post these to the Prime minister. Country-wide weavers, craftsmen, and workers are in pain," said the member at the rally.

"Whenever sickle, spade, hammer, and needle are in problem, a revolution occurs. The way farmers protest got support from Telangana, this struggle of weavers also should be supported country-wide," he added.

On 22 October, the postcard campaign was launched by Telangana Handlooms and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao. KTR wrote a postcard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back the 5 percent GST on handloom clothes and raw materials and urged others to do the same.