Govt. will bear 5% GST on handlooms when Congress comes to power, says Rahul

During his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress MP interacts with various groups

Member of Parliament and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday said the Congress government will take the burden of 5% GST on handlooms as soon as it comes back to power, even as he rued the deliberate attempt to weaken the fee reimbursement scheme introduced by the party.

Mr. Gandhi met a diverse group of intellectuals and discussed developmental challenges of Mahabubnagar district, weavers and education related issues that were of special concern. The meeting was a part of Mr. Gandhi’s interactions with individuals and diverse groups during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Sharing his views, noted social activist Prof. Haragopal stated that the district was one of the most economically backward in the country, facing massive migrations. Despite the Krishna river flowing through Mahabubnagar, there was paucity of water for farming. leading to extreme poverty and migrations. He said the promise of Palamuru Rangareddy project is yet to be fulfilled.

Prominent social activist R. Venkat Reddy stated public education was being deliberately undermined by cutting funding to government schools while encouraging the private sector. He also said that allocation to education in the budget has been reduced from 10% to 6.25%, which is the lowest in the country among 22 big States.

A young lady, Varsha Bhargavi came up with an interesting suggestion that the government should give the option for the family to use money under the Kalyana Lakshmi scheme for either higher education or marriage. This will encourage parents to send girl students for higher education than just marrying them off. Some students said the government has not been releasing funds under Fee Reimbursement Scheme, thus affecting their academics.

A delegation of handloom weavers led by Gajam Anjaiah, 2013 Padma Shri awardee, highlighted the acute distress in weaver community due to GST and lack of social security schemes.

In response, Mr. Gandhi said it was a tragedy that students were being forced to take up lower-paying jobs instead of continuing their education. He said he was “very clear that healthcare and education were the prime responsibility of the government and should not be left solely to private enterprises.” Done properly, this can create large employment opportunities for people also in the fields of Education and Healthcare. He also assured that the party would seriously look into the Palamuru Rangareddy project before plotting out a course of action. Congress Parliament members Jairam Ramesh and Uttam Kumar Reddy; CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ex MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi were present.