KTR demands rollout of ‘Worker to Owner’ scheme before Sankranti

LatestPoliticsTelangana
By HNH Web Desk
Worker to Owner scheme

Hyderabad: BRS working president and Sircilla MLA K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday demanded the immediate implementation of the ‘Worker to Owner’ scheme before Sankranti. He warned that failure to do so would trigger a mass protest in Sircilla with 10,000 weavers.

Addressing the media, KTR accused the Congress government of deliberately stalling the scheme for two years to weaken it. He said the plan, introduced by former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao, was revolutionary and aimed at turning powerloom workers into independent owners.

KTR insisted the government finalise the list of eligible beneficiaries and issue ownership letters before Sankranti. He said necessary subsidies for powerloom purchases must be allocated in the upcoming budget to ensure effective execution.

BRS to launch mass agitation if deadline ignored

He declared that if the Congress government fails to act by Sankranti, the BRS would lead a massive dharna in Sircilla, mobilising thousands of handloom and powerloom workers. He said the protest would shake the entire town.

KTR slammed the current government for trying to dismantle a visionary welfare initiative. He recalled how KCR responded to a severe crisis in Sircilla’s weaving sector as early as 2005, when nine weavers died by suicide in a single week. At the time, KCR had provided ₹50 lakh in aid from the TRS party to the Padmashali community.

KCR kept his word to weavers post-Telangana formation

KTR reminded that KCR, during the Telangana movement, had promised to support weavers and fulfilled that pledge after becoming Chief Minister. He highlighted how KCR protected the Sircilla textile sector like “the apple of his eye.”

The government had issued Bathukamma saree orders worth ₹3,400 crore to support weavers, he said. This not only ensured stable income for weaving families but also provided festive gifts to over one crore women annually.

KTR explained that before this intervention, weavers earned just ₹8,000–₹10,000 a month, and many women in their families suffered health problems from rolling beedis. The KCR government also introduced ₹2,000 monthly pensions for 4.5 lakh beedi workers and raised weavers’ earnings to ₹15,000–₹20,000.

He noted that the textile sector saw a major turnaround, with weavers gaining steady income and dignity. The ‘Worker to Owner’ model, which challenges the exploitative weaver–middleman–owner hierarchy, was designed to transform workers into loom owners.

 

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