Individual loans of weavers waived

HYDERABAD: Textiles and handlooms minister P Shankar Rao on Thursday announced waiver of individual loans raised by weavers till March 31, 2010. Around 53,000 weavers' families will benefit from the government's decision.Addressing newsmen at the Secretariat here on Thursday, Shankar Rao said that the decision to waive weavers' individual loans would result in a Rs 20-crore financial burden on the state government.The government had also released Rs 109.07 crore towards waiver of loans of weavers who were covered under artisan credit cards, PMRY and Rajiv Yuva Shakti.Several other weavers took other types of loans from DRA, IRDP, etc and such loans would be waived only if the weavers concerned had availed such loans for weaving purpose, the minister said.Referring to weavers' suicides, he said Sircilla-type package would be extended to the members of the families of the deceased. “About Rs 25,000 per family will be extended only if the victim's death was due to financial problems and inability to repay the loans. The government will implement the package in respect of the families of 123 weavers who had committed suicide under the burden of debts in the Dubbaka area of Medak district.'' Declaring that Sircilla package would be implemented throughout the state, Shanker Rao said district collectors were directed to send reports on weavers' deaths to the government within one week. Local elected representatives and officials concerned should be involved in finding the reasons for the death, the minister said.