Congress legislator H.M. Revanna on Friday urged the State government to announce a loan waiver for weavers, who are currently in distress, to the tune of ₹241 crore.
Raising the issue in Legislative Council, he said 28,657 weavers had loans of ₹175.22 crore in the cooperative sector and about 8,000 weavers had loans of ₹66.09 crore in nationalised banks, which would make it to about ₹241 crore. He also pointed out that the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation, which was once a profit-making unit, was currently reeling under loss and its showrooms at various places had been shut.
The weaving sector was the fourth-largest employment generator, he said, and added that weavers required help from the government.
Textiles and Handlooms Minister Shrimant B. Patil said the government had released ₹2.27 crore towards waiver of interest on loans of weavers during 2019–20, benefiting about 9,765 weavers.
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