KCR said that after the Assembly elections the pension given to beedi workers will be hiked to ₹3,000 and ₹500 added to it yearly.
Published Nov 03, 2023 | 8:39 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 03, 2023 | 8:40 PM
KCR addressing a rally. (X)
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said more initiatives would be taken up for the welfare of beedi workers and weavers in the state.
Addressing a public meeting in Korutla on Friday, 3 November, KCR said that after the elections, the pension given to beedi workers would be hiked to ₹3,000, from ₹2,016, and ₹500 added to it yearly.
He added that his government was already looking into introducing more schemes for the benefit of weavers.
He also claimed that the BRS government had increased the pension given to all the beneficiaries in the state from a few hundred rupees to thousands of rupees.
“We used to hear of ₹40, ₹70, and ₹200 pensions. But after the BRS government came to power, the pensions were increased keeping in view the interests of the people,” said KCR.
“When I was the Union labour minister, I learnt that 19 states have workers, but not a single state used to give these workers any pension,” claimed KCR.
“When I was studying in Dubbaka, I saw the problems faced by beedi workers and weavers. That is why I decided to give pension to beedi workers even though there was no such request from them,” said KCR.
He said the pension of beedi workers would be increased to ₹3,000, with ₹500 added to it yearly, after the elections.
KCR said that in the fourth year, the workers would get a pension of ₹5,000. Even newly-enrolled beedi workers would get a pension, he added.
The weavers’ community also faced problems, said KCR. “When seven weavers died by suicide in Bhoodan Pochampally, I requested the then chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh to give ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh to each of the bereaved families. But the request was denied. That was the situation in united Andhra Pradesh,” claimed KCR.
Stating that the existing schemes meant for weavers were insufficient, KCR said more schemes must be introduced for them. He added that he had asked Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao to look into it.
At the same time, the budget for the welfare of the weavers’ community would also be increased, he said.
Telangana as a region faced several problems, ranging from meeting water requirements for irrigation and drinking purposes, migration, and other issues., KCR said, adding that there was complete chaos before the formation of the separate Telangana state.
He claimed that the BRS government introduced schemes such as Kalyana Lakshmi, Rythu Bandhu, and Dalit Bandhu, even though there was no demand or request for them.
He requested the people that before they cast their vote, they should evaluate the history of political parties and their work before and after the formation of Telangana.
Referring to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Dharani portal, a one-stop destination for carrying out agricultural land transactions, must be dumped in the Bay of Bengal, KCR asked: “Do you (people) want village revenue officers, agricultural officers, and brokers to come back again?”
