Waive weavers' loans or I will resign: Shankar Rao to CM

Handlooms and Textiles Minister P Shankar Rao on Monday stated that he would resign from the Cabinet by the end of the month if Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy does not give the nod for his demand of a loan waiver for poor weavers.

Claiming that this would be his last interaction with the media for the next two months, Dr Shankar Rao said that he was coming under attack by the opposition who were accusing him of neglecting his responsibilities.

The Minister said that he was under attack despite the fact that he was working for the uplift of the poor weavers. “Towards this end, I have tried to secure the loan waiver and if this was not forthcoming as scheduled from Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy by this month ending, I will resign from his Ministry,” Dr Shankar Rao stated.

He made it clear that he tried to secure work orders for the weavers’ benefit. The one from Rajiv Vidya Mission worth Rs 105 crore in the recent past was part of his scheme of providing 365-days work for the poor weavers, the Minister pointed out.

Dr Shankar Rao said he had convened an all-party meeting in which the leaders of BJP, TDP, CPI and CPM leaders had attended on the weavers' issues.

The loan waiver issue topped discussion during the meeting which was held at the Secretariat on Monday, he disclosed.

Following the meeting, Dr Shankar Rao informed media persons that he would take up the issue with the Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy and apprise him the need to sanction loan waiver at the earliest. “The opposition has criticised me for not doing anything in the matter,” pointed out Dr Shankar Rao, indignantly.