DEVARAKADRA (MAHBUBNAGAR DIST): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has given a specific assurance that the five per cent GST on handloom products would be scrapped, said party MP Uttam Kumar Reddy.
The former TPCC chief said that the BJP government at the Centre had imposed the GST on handloom products including khadi handloom, handicrafts, mats, pots and ploughs, from July 1, 2017. He said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was among the first to ratify the GST Act in the Assembly.
He said Rahul Gandhi had been apprised of the neglect of the primary handloom weavers' cooperative societies (PHWCS), which play a crucial role in the development of the handloom industry. Elections had not been held for three years to the societies, he said.
Rahul Gandhi, who entered Mahbubnagar district during the day, said that people had been experiencing 'raja' rule (monarchy) than democracy, as Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was ruling on his whims and fancies. Rao had ignored the development of the state and was trying to fleece the people, he said,
Speaking at the Manyamkonda temple arch to conclude his padayatra for the day, during which he had walked around 20 km, Rahul Gandhi said the Chief Minister was getting details of every land transaction through the Dharani portal.
The ruling party leaders had their eyes on the land of the people, he said. The government was trying to take back 25 lakh acres that previous Congress government had assigned to SC and ST families.
He assured that Forest Lands Act would be implemented after the Congress came to power. "We will settle the land issues of tribals and others", he said.
TPCC political affairs committee convener Mohammad Ali Shabbir said that TRS and BJP leaders played 'drama' of buying of MLAs. Both the parties decided to divert the attention of people from Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, but failed.
Accompanied by people of different walks of life, representatives from organisations and elected representatives of various states, Rahul Gandhi entered Mahbubnagar district from Narayanapet on the 51st day of his Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir padayatra.
People thronged the road and the meeting venue to have a glimpse of Rahul Gandhi. The Raichur-Mahbubnagar highway had a large number of people carrying the National Flags and singing songs.
Akilash Singh, from Marikal, said, "When I heard him speak, I just started walking with him. I don't know till where I will be walking."
At Pedda Gopalapur, Devrakadra, a father and son had come all the way from Makhtal came to see Rahul Gandhi. Srimannarayana of Mulugu said he had come to show his son a leader who was walking across India despite belonging to a rich and powerful family.
He had a suggestion: In the food for work programmem the money should be transferred directly into the workers account.
Abdul Khader, a senior citizen from Kanpurthi, Maharashtra, had joined the yatra on Thursday. He said: “I believe in this young and dynamic leader will bring change in the nation, His grandmother and his father did so much for this country.”
Vijay Patel from Karimnagar, a graduate looking for a job, said, "I am here to support him, looking at the financial condition of the country. Amid the crisis of unemployment, educated people are leaving this country to have better lives.”
At Mahbubnagar, where Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach on Saturday, Momd Aijaz, a private employee, said, “After a long period we will be able to see the Congress charm once again. The town is filled with the party flags and banners.”
