Lokesh guarantees handloom weavers' homes with worksheds.

During his Yuva Galam padayatra, the national general secretary of the TDP said that if the party wins the election, they will try to get GST off of handloom goods.

Nara Lokesh, national general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), said on Tuesday that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had never visited the families of the 60 handloom workers in Andhra Pradesh who killed themselves because they were unhappy.

The Bandaru Lankan handloom workers told Mr. Lokesh all about their problems while he was on his Yuva Galam padayatra in the Amalapuram Assembly seat in the Konaseema district.

In answer to the handloom workers' many requests, Mr. Lokesh said, "If the TDP wins in 2024, we will fight to get rid of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) on handloom goods." Handloom makers will be able to live in homes with work sheds. Up to 200 units of free electricity will be given to every family of handloom weavers.

The handloom workers said that the State government had taken away the 30% refund on handloom goods and asked that it be put back in place. They also asked that handloom workers over 50 be given an old-age income.

Areas with water

In the evening, the shellfish farmers from Konaseema met Mr. Lokesh and told him about their problems. They said that the aqua feed companies had gotten together as a gang and were telling them how to set the price of the aqua feed.

Mr. Lokesh replied, "The prices of seed, feed, and power have increased over the last four years." Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy set up the aqua zones only to make farmers pay more for electricity.