Handloom Minister gheraoed

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR, APRIL 5. District Youth Congress and NSUI activists gheraoed the Minister for Handlooms, Mr. Padala Bhumaiah, at Sircilla on Thursday, demanding ex-gratia to the families of the powerloom weavers who have resorted to suicide following starvation.

The Minister visited Sircilla town to console the families of powerloom weavers who were in dire straits. Immediately after the information about his arrival, over 200 Youth Congress and NSUI activists, including 50 women, went to the guest house where the Minister was holding discussions with the district officials, and squatted on the road raising slogans against the Minister and the State Government for `negligent attitude' towards the weavers' plight.

After half-an-hour, the Minister came out of the guest house to talk to the agitators. The Congress workers raised slogans demanding ex-gratia of Rs.1 lakh each to the families of the victims.

When the Minister made an assurance that he would ensure ex- gratia and solve all the problems of weavers, the agitators were not satisfied. Later, he announced: ``If I fail to solve the problem of Sircilla powerloom weavers, I will resign.''

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Section  : Southern States
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