Telangana minister K T Rama Rao has started an online petition demanding the Narendra Modi government to remove the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on handloom products in order “to safeguard lives of weavers and protect India’s cultural heritage.”
A day earlier, the TRS working president had initiated a postcard campaign with the same demand.
The initiatives come ahead of the crucial Munugode bypoll on November 3, where the weavers' community's votes are significant.
KTR, the Telangana minister for IT, industries, municipal administration-urban development, and also handlooms and textiles, is actively involved in his party's campaign in the Assembly constituency, where the main contest is with the BJP.
In the petition, KTR stated that India is home to almost five million handloom workers who produce unique products without the aid of mechanical energy. And the highly decentralized and rural handloom industry mostly has women in its workforce.
On Saturday, KTR wrote a postcard addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to roll back the five percent GST on the handloom products. He started the online petition on change.org on Sunday.
Tweeting on the same, KTR has requested everyone to sign the petition and share it with their friends and family, to join hands for a noble cause.
“GST on handlooms is a direct threat to the millions of people who earn their livelihoods in the handloom sector. Weavers across the country unanimously oppose taxes on handloom since it had resulted in huge losses, forcing many to turn away from the traditional craft,” the minister tweeted.
KTR said that the handloom sector is one of the largest unorganized sectors and forms an integral part of rural and semi-rural livelihood.
“The handloom sector in India is reeling under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and any move to increase the tax will sound the death knell for the sector,” KTR stated, adding that handloom weaving represents one of the richest and most vibrant aspects of the Indian cultural heritage. He said the Modi government is the first to levy GST on handloom products since Independence.