BJP threatens Massive Stir to press Free Cloth production

BJP state president K Annamalai said that if the government does not take immediate action to produce free dhoti and sarees, the BJP weaves team will stage a stir at the National Handloom Day celebration of his party's weavers wing here on Sunday. 
 

Earlier, he led BJP cadres rally with Tricolour near collectorate to celebrate 75th I- Day. In his speech, he said the PM announced the national handloom day on August 7, 2015 to implement various welfare programs to protect weavers. There are 2.18 lakh handlooms and 89,449 powerlooms in TN. Kongu, Kanchi, Southern Districts, Trichy, Madurai, Salem have many handloom clusters. The textile production was mentioned in Purananuru  2000 years ago Ancient Tamils ​​produced cloth by usung more than 40 natural colors. To protect the weaving industry PM announced a grant of Rs.1 lakh crore through KVIC in 2014,  National Handloom Development Project, handloom fund subsidy scheme, 15% rebate on cotton, silk, woollen garments, Rs 25000 subsidy under mudhra scheme to buy a loom. Tamil Nadu has 58 handloom cluster and of which 15 got Rs 25 lakh subsidy. 

Those who have eight power looms can get Rs 20000 to 45000 subsidy to buy 9th loom. 
When the price of cotton rose to unprecedented levels, 12 percent import tax withheld due to BJP's initiative. Currently the price of cotton yarn has decreased by Rs 35 to 40.  Similarly when efforts were made to hike the GST on cloth from 5% to 12% it was stopped due to the BJP's efforts. Though BJP and PM took steps to protect weavers, DMK rule was acting against them. So far, it didn't invite tenders to buy yarn to produce 1.80 cr dhothis and 1.80 cr sarees and distribute it to poor  through ration shops during Pongal festival. 
Normally, production will start from July to Dec.

Therefore, the BJP weavers' team would start a stir to press  production of cloth immediately to help our weavers get Rs 436 cr production cost. DMK rule planned to buy the cloth from other states to get 10 to 20 percent commission, he charged. DMK manifesto promised to increase the free electricity provided to the weavers every two months from 750 units to 1000 units but the promise was not fulfilled. Rather, it hiked unit cost by 70 paise. No state in the nation hiked power tariff this much. 
 

The BJP weavers wing show prepare a handbook about the Central government schemes and distribute it to every weavers' homes and help them get the benefit of Central government schemes. Previously, Vajpayee government alone brought the Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) Scheme in 1998-99 and the present rule was negotiating with the UK and the EU to establish a free trade agreement. It would increase our textile exports by 3 times. 

Similar pact would be signed with the UAE and Australia. Like our computer software exports, the countries of the world would compete and come forward to buy our textiles after the pact. 
We will soon be the number one in the international market in textile exports, he said. Party functionaries GK Nagaraj, Shanmugaraj, Point Mani, Palanichami, Sivasubramaniam, ST Senthilkumar, Balamurugan and others participated in the event.