Will end GST on handloom if Congress assumes power: Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

New Delhi, October 28

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday assured the weavers of Telangana that the party, if elected in 2023, would remove GST on handlooms and ensure that tribals and farmers get their due land rights.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, accompanying Gandhi during the Telangana leg of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra said today that the tribals who met the former party chief raised three Telangana specific concerns.

“During the 51st day of the yatra, Rahul Gandhi had two detailed interactions at the halt in Devarakadra in Telangana. First, was with tribals on the implementation of the historic Forest Rights Act. They raised three concerns specific to Telangana,” Ramesh said.

The concerns were—three lakh tribal families cultivating tribal land have not got pattas; one lakh tribals cultivating land in areas disputed between the forest and revenue departments have no patta and another lakh tribal families who got patta during UPA government are not in records and are deprived of all benefits.

In the second interaction, handloom weavers expressed grave concern on imposition of GST that has aggravated their marketing woes.

“Some weavers were critical of the BJP government having abolished government bodies for handloom development that have existed for decades.

The weavers also pointed out that subsidies for yarn and schemes for their welfare are not being implemented properly in letter and spirit,” said Ramesh.