Hyderabad, Oct 28 (Agency) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised that the GST on handloom products would be scrapped after the Congress party comes to power at the Centre in the next elections. He also assured that all Girijans, cultivating forest lands for decades, would be given ownership rights by implementing the Forest Rights Act, of 2006. Rahul Gandhi gave these assurances during his interaction with the handloom weavers and Girijans as part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered 3rd day in Telangana on Friday. Briefing the media persons after the meetings, Congress MP & former TPCC Chief Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, CLP Leader Bhatti Vikramarka and others, informed that Rahul Gandhi had a detailed interaction with the weavers and Girijans facing the Podu lands issue in the state. “Rahul Gandhi gave specific assurance to the weavers that 5 per cent of GST on handloom products would be scrapped,” he said.
He pointed out that when the BJP Government imposed 5 per cent GST on handloom products including Khadi handloom, handicrafts, mats, pots and ploughs, from 1st July 2017, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (known as KCR) was among the first, even before the BJP Chief Ministers, to ratify GST Act in the Assembly. “When Congress MLAs opposed the GST Act in the House, KCR tried to silence us and did not allow us to speak on the issue. TRS Government never objected to GST on handlooms since July 2017. Now, in view of the Munugode by-elections scheduled to be held on November 3, TRS is making a hue and cry on the issue, he said and adding that Rahul Gandhi has assured that the next Congress Government at the Centre will scrap the GST on handloom products.” . Uttam said that Rahul Gandhi was informed about the complete neglect of the Primary Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Societies (PHWCS) in the state, which plays a crucial role in the development of the handloom industry. Rahul Gandhi has also assured the creation of a mechanism for the economic empowerment of weavers by enabling easy loans and other facilities, he said..
“Rahul Gandhi also assured that the next Congress Government will take all measures to resolve the problems and hardship being faced by the weavers of Telangana,” he said. Rahul Gandhi also assured the Girijan farmers that their rights over forest lands would be protected as guaranteed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 enacted by then Congress-led UPA Government, Uttam said and adding that the TRS Government was trying to displace them in the name of ‘Podu’ (shifting cultivation) lands. The Congress MP said that the TRS Govt did not give ownership rights to a single Girijan in the last eight years. Instead, it snatched away 18,655 Acres of forest land from 1,950 Girijans. Uttam said that Rahul Gandhi, during his stay in Telangana till November 7, would interact with various sections of the society on their problems.